T  H  E  G  E  1  T  \   C  E  N  T  E  R  L  I  B  R  A  R  Y 


PRACTICAL    TREATISE 

ON 

DYING 

WOOLLEN,  COTTON,   AND   SILK, 

INCLUDING   RECIPES   FOR 


LaC  reds  and  scarlets— chrome  yellows  and 

oranges— and  prussian  blues— on  silks, 

cottons  and  woollens. 


WITH  EVKKY  IMPEOVEMENT  IN  THK  ART,  MADE  SINCE  THE  YEAR  1S& 

ALSO, 
A  CORRECT  DESCRIPTION  OF 

SULPHURING   WOOLLENS. 


BY  WILLIAM   PARTRIDGE. 


NEW  YORK: 
WILLIAM    PARTRIDGE    &    SON, 

27    CLIFF-STREET. 
1847. 


Entered,  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1834,  by  William 
Partridge,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District 
of  New-Yorlc. 


llie  Author  informs  Manufacturers  and  Dyers,  that  he  is  at 
all  times  willing  and  desirous  to  give  any  information  and 
recipes,  that  may  be  in  his  power,  respecting  the  manufacture 
of  woollens  and  dying,  free  of  cost. 


STEREOTYPED    BY    HENRY  W.   REES, 
45  GOLD  STREET,  NEW-YORK. 


ixmsM 


CONTENTS 


used 


illiam 


Aurora — Recipes  for,  and  orange  . 
Bark — Swainp-niaple  .... 

Black-oak,  and  golden  rod 
Alder         ..... 

Chestnut  and  butternut 
Black-dyeing — On        .... 

Blue-black — To  dye  a,  on  sixteen  pounds  of  cloth  or  yarn 
Black — Another,  for  twenty  pounds  of  woollen     . 
Blue-black — Another  recipe   for  a,  in  which  dye-woods  are 

in  the  saddenings,  for  sixteen  pounds  of  woollen  cloth 
Black,  jet — To  dye  sixteen  pounds  of  cloth  . 

To  dye  wool      ....... 

A  new  method  of  colouring,  discovered  by  Messrs.  Vi 
Adams  &-  Co.         ...... 

To  prepare  the  chlorine  water  for      . 

To  dye,  on  silk.         ...... 

Process  of  dying  silk,  by  Vitalis 

To  dye  furs  or  hats    ...... 

The  English  new  process  of  dying,  either  blued  in  the  vat 
or  vvitliout      .... 

A  similar,  without  blueing . 
Blue-dying — On ..... 

Prussian — To  dye  on  woollens 

Recipes  for  dying  in  the  furnace  . 

Navj' — Recipe   for  colouring  a  full,  for  mixing  for  satinett 

or  other  coai-se  work.     It  is  for  eighty  pounds  of 

scoured  wool         ..... 

To  dye,  on  cotton 

To  dye,  on  silk    ...... 

Prussian — To  dye  cotton  and  silk  a 

Sapphire — To  dye  silk  a      ....         . 

Mazarine — To  dye  silk  a      ....         . 

Prussian — By  Mons.  Raymond   • . 
Turkish — A  handsome,  for  ten  pounds  of  silk 
Best  ultra-marine,  for  ten  pounds  of  silk 
Blue — A  dark,  for  ten  pounds  of  silk    .... 

To  dye  a  handsome  violet,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk 
Blood-red  colour — Recipe  to  dye  silk  of  a      . 
Bleaching  salts — To  use,  for  whitening  cotton,  yam,  or  cloth 
Brimstone  or  straw  colour — For  a,  on  cotton 
Brown -black,  rich  reddish — To  dye  sixteen  pounds 
Brown — To  dye  ninety-two  pounds  of  Saxony  wool  a  dark, 
Adelaide  shade    ...... 

To  dye  one  hundred  and  fourteen  pounds  of  Saxony  wool 
a  beautiful  and  permanent . 


Paok 

120 
38 
38 
38 
39 
50 
52 
54 


of  an 


CONTENTS. 


Paqb 


and  clean 


Brown — To  dye  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  pounds  of  Saxony 

wool  a  deep  tea,  inclining  to  olive        ....         8 
To  dye  eighty  pounds  of  Saxony  wool  a  light  and  beau- 
tiful     8 

To  dye,  on  cotton  ........     135 

For  a  real,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk      .....     135 

For  a  tea,  on  fifteen  pounds  of  cloth,  &c.       .         .      148,  149 

For  a  red,  of  a  very  lively  tint,  on  twenty  pounds  of  wool     160 

Browns — To  dye,  on  woollens       ......      126-131 

Recipes  for  olive        .         .         .         .         .         .         .131,  132 

BufF— Recipes  for         . 117 

For  a,  on  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of  wool      .         .118 
colour — For  a,  on  cotton     ...... 

Chocolate — To  dye,  on  cotton 

Cinnamon  colour — To  dye  wool 

For  a,  of  a  fuller  colour,  and  more  on  the  red 
For  a  very  bright,  on  twenty  pounds  of  wool 
Two  recipes  for  a  lot  of  very  bright,  done  in 

succession  in  the  same  liquor 
To  dye  a,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk 
To  dye  a  beautiful,  on  both  cotton  and  silk,  by 
a  new  process 
Claret — For  a  very  deep  and  rich 

To  dye,  on  woollens         .... 

Cloth — Cleaning,  for  dying,  and  the  washing  of  wool 
ing  colours  after  dying  .... 

For  sixteen  pounds  of       .         .         .         r 
Worsted,  or  yarn — To  dye  twenty  pounds  of 
Recipe  for  twenty-seven  pounds  of  fine     . 
Wilkius's  patent  mode  for  raising  the  nap  of 
On  mellowing,  after  fulling,  before  raising  the  nap    . 
Cochineal  and  other  dye-stuffs      ...... 

Colour — For  a  very  bright,  almost  a  red,  of  the  cinnamon  hue 

To  dye  a  double,  having  purple  on  the  one  side,  and  scar 
let  on  the  other  .... 

Colours,  compound — Of        .... 

On  dying  of  double 
Corbeaus — To  dye,  on  woollens    . 
Cotton — To  dye  black  on     . 

Second  recipe  for  dying  black  on     . 
Mode  of  dying,  by  the  Africans,  a  fine  blue  colour 
Crimson — To  dye         ...... 

For  a,  on  silk        ..... 

Drab — To  dye,  on  woollens  ..... 

For  a  light  red  pearl,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool 

For  a  pearl,  on  sixty  pounds  of  wool  . 

For  a  pearl  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool . 

For  a  dark  pearl,  on  sixty-five  pounds  of  wool 

For  a  thin  pearl,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool 

For  a  dark  green,  on  fifty-eight  pounds  of  wool 

For  a  dark  muddy,  on  sixty-five  pounds  of  wool 


118 
134 
123 
123 
124 

124 
124 

125 
131 
146 

25 

57 

88 

118 

170 

177 

32 

160 


168 

102 

165 

147 

61 

62 

169 

140,  141 

141-143 

150-152 

158 

158 

158 

158 

159 

159 

161 


CONTENTS. 


Page 
.  162 
.  162 
.  162 
152-155 
155-157 
.  159 
.  150 
.  37 
.  25 
.       39 


ds  of  cloth 


Drab — For  a  muddy,  on  sixty-five  pounds  of  wool 
To  dye,  on  cotton     ..... 

To  dye  a,  on  silk      ..... 

Drabs — To  dye  red,  on  woollen    .... 

To  dye  yellow,  on  wooiJon 
To  dye  green,  on  woollens 
Dun  colour — For  a,  on  sixty-seven  pounds  of  wool 
Dye-drugs — Native-American      .... 

Dying-furnaces,  etc.     ...... 

Dye-stuffs  not  indigenous,  that  could  be  raised  in  this  country 

Fawn  colour — To  dye,  on  woollens       ....      125.  152,  153 

For  a,  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool    .         .         .         .125 

For  a,  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  not  quite  so  red 
as  the  last.         ....... 

For  a,  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  still  less  on  the 
red  hue      .... 

To  dye  silk  a,        .         .         . 
Fermenting  process — Description  of  the 
Fraud  on  the  tare  of  imported  goods     . 
Fulling-mill — On  the  new    . 
Green — For  a  deep  bronze    .... 

Invisible — To  dve  one  hundred  pounds  of  Saxony  wool  a 

light    . 
true— Of  .... 

For  a  very  light  grass,  for  forty-one  pour 
To  dye  wool  a  true .... 

on  wool — Second  recipe  for  a  true    . 

true — For  a  very  light,  to  be  first  dyed  a  very  light  blue  . 

For  a  true,  for  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  to  be  woaded  blue 

as  usual        ......... 

Recipes  for,  in  which  the  blue  predominates     . 
To  dye  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  in  which  the  blue  slightly 
predominates        ........     105 

Recipe  for  a  blue,  where  the  blue  is  stronger  than  the  last, 

for  two  liundred  and  forty  pounds  of  wool 
For  a  very  light  blue,  for  sixty  pounds  of  wool. 
Recipe  for  a  verj'  dark,  rather  inclining  to  the  blue,  for 
sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  previously  dyed  to  a  fifteen  cent 
blue,  in  the  woad  vat   ....... 

For  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  pounds  of  wool,  for  a 
dark,  blue-bottle,  to  be  first  dyed  in  the  woad  vat  to  a 
thirteen  cent  blue  .         ....... 

For  a  middling  blue,  for  two  hundred  and  five  pounds  of 

wool,  to  be  first  woaded  to  a  nine  cent  blue  . 
For  a  very  light,  in  which  the  blue  predominates,  for  fif- 
ty-six pounds  of  wool,  first  woaded  to  a  four  cent  blue  . 
Recipes  for,  in  which  the  yellow  predominates . 
For  a  rich  bronze,  for  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  that  has 
been  coloured  a  full  twenty  cent  blue  .... 

For  a  bronze,  on  two  hundred  and  sixty  pounds  of  wool    . 
To  dye  sixteen  pounds  of  a  lighter  bronze .... 


125 

125 

-126 

42 

3 

2 

7 


102 
103 
103 
104 
104 

105 
105 


105 
106 


106 


106 

107 

107 
107 

107 
107 
108 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


Page 


Green — For  a  fine  olive,  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  to  be  woaded 
to  a  nine  cent  blue       ....... 

For  a  dark  bottle,  of  the  bronze  hue,  for  one  hundred  and 
forty  pounds  of  wool,  made  a  full  eleven  cent  blue  in 
the  woad  vat        ....... 

For  an  invisible,  on  two  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  wool 
— a  colour  now  very  fashionable  .... 

Bottle — To  dye  of  different  shades,  on  twenty  pounds  of 
wool    ......... 

To  dye  red      ........ 

Two  recipes  for  dying,  on  cotton      .         ... 

Second  recipe  is  cheaper,  in  which  part  of  the  blue  is  di 
rected  to  be  put  on  with  logwood .... 

To  colour  silk ........ 

For  a  Saxon,  on  silk        ...... 

For  a  handsome,  on  silk,  for  ten  pounds . 
■^       For  a,  with  weld     ....... 

Introduction  ......... 

Indigo — On  the  manufacturing  of  ....         . 

Lac-scarlet — Scotch  recipe  for  dying    ..... 

William  Partridge's  recipe  for  dying  twenty  pound 
of  stuff  a     ......         . 

Lac-spirits — Another  Scotcli  recipe  for  making 

Lather — To  make  soap  lees  for  producing  the 

Lavender  on  woollen    ........ 

Lilac — To  colour,  on  wool    ....... 

To  colour,  on  silk      ....... 

Madder — On  raising 

Madder  browns — To  dye  dark  and  rich,  on  two  hundred  pounds 
of  cotton  yarn        ..... 

Miscellaneous  colours  ........ 

Mordant — To  make  the       ....... 

Morone — To  dye,  on  silk 

To  colour,  on  silk  ...... 

Mud — For  a  Paris,  on  sixty -five  pounds  of  wool    . 

Mulberry — To  dye,  on  woollen 145 

To  colour,  on  silk        ...... 

Nankeen  colour — For  a,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk 

Oil  for  wool — On  ........ 

Olive — To  colour  cotton  a  permanent 

To  colour  cotton  a  cheap  and  common 

To  colour  silk  a  dark         .         .         .         .         . 

Orange,  and  aurora — Recipes  for  . 

For  an,  on  sixty  pounds  of  fine  cloth,  in  a  spent  scarlet 
liquor  ......... 

For  a  common,  on  four  pieces  of  flannel  . 

For  an,  on  nineteen  pounds  of  wool  .... 

For  an,  on  cotton 

Chrome,  on  cotton   ....... 

To  colour  silk  an      ......         . 

yellow — For  a  deep,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk 


108 


CONTENTS. 


cotton  yarn 


Orchille  and  cudbear — On  .... 
Pearl — For  a  very  light  white,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool 
Pink — To  dye  ten  pounds  of  cotton  yarn  a  . 
Pink — To  dye,  on  silk  ..... 
Pinks — To  dye,  on  woollen  .... 
Prussian  blue,  dying — On  .... 
Purple — To  colour  ninety  pounds  of  fine  cloth  a  rich 
To  dye,  on  cotton  .... 
To  colour,  on  silk  .... 
Pyroligneate  of  iron — To  make  a  superior     . 

copper — To  make 
Recipe — First  Manchester    .... 
Red — To  dye  Turkey,  on  two  hundred  pounds  of 
To  dye  the         ..... 
Recipes  for  colouring  .... 
For  dying  a  flannel    .... 
To  dye  a,  on  a  long  baize,  weighing  from  fifty  to  sixty  pounds 
madder — Recipe  for  a,  for  twenty  yards  of  broadcloth,  in 

which  the  tin  liquor  is  not  used 
lac  and  scarlets — To  dye    ..... 
To  dye,  with  mungeet,  on  fifty  pounds  of  woollen 

To  dye,  on  cotton 

Recipe  to  dye  a  fine  and  permanent,  on  cotton  . 
Recipe  for  a  common,  on  cotton  .... 

A  German  recipe  for,  on  silk,  for  ten  pounds 
Second  German  recipe  for  a  handsome 
and  blue — To  dye  colours  compounded  of  . 
For  a  thin,  on  twenty  pounds  of  wool 
For  a  Brazil,  on  twelve  pounds  of  wool 
For  a  deep  sanders,  on  forty-five  pounds  of  wool 
For  a  bright,  for  mixtures,  of  the  cinnamon  hue 
Residuums — On  the,  remaining  after  dying  chromic  yellow  and 
orange  ...... 

Salmon  colour — For  a,  on  cotton  .... 

Sawdust — White-oak  ...... 

Scarlet  and  other  colours — To  make  tin  liquors  for 
on  woollen — Of         ..... 

For  dying  sixteen  pounds  of  woollen  a  bright 
For  dying  sixteen  pounds  of  cloth  a  fine  flame-coloured 
For  dying  a  Nash,  on  two  pieces  of  thirty-two  yards  each 
weighing  irinety-six  pounds    ..... 

To  colour,  with  the  colouring  matter  of  the  stick  lac  . 
To  dye  a  mock,  on  silk     . 
Scouring  liquor — A  new        .... 

To  make  the 
Scouring  of  wool ...... 

An  entire  new  process  for  . 
Another  process  for 
Shellac — To  dissolve,  in  water,  used  by  the  French  as  a  varnish 

by  pa])er  stainers 
Silk — Process  of  ahuning     .... 


vu 

Paoe 

177 

158 

144 

144 

144 

1 

136, 137 

137,138 

138, 139 

62 

63 

62 

4 

85 


vm 


CONTENTS. 


Smoke — For  a  London,  on  fifty  pounds  of  wool    . 
Specific  gravities — On  ascertaining 
Straw  colour — For  a,  on  silk  .... 

For  a  brimstone  or,  on  cotton  . 

Sumach 

Sweet  balm . 

Tea-brown — For  a,  on  fifteen  pounds  of  cloth 
Tin  liquors — To  make,  for  scarlet  and  other  colours 
To  prepare  nitro-muriate  of,  for  woollen  dying 
To  prepare  muriate  of   . 

To  prepare  sulpho-niuriate  of         .         .         . 
To  make  nitro-muriate  of       . 
To  test,  for  copper  or  lead     .... 

Ure's — Dr.,  comparative  scale  between  Tweedle  and  B 
Vat — Silk  indigo  ....... 

Process  of  setting  an  ash      .... 

Working  the  ash  ..... 

To  renew  the  ash        ..... 

To  make  a  new  ash,  after  working  out  the  old  one 
Keeping  the  silk  ash,  in  order 
On  the  cold  indigo,  used  by  cotton  dyers 
Vessels — On  the  choice  of,  for  colouring  scarlet,  as  well  as 
delicate  colours,  and  of  furnace-baskets,  reels,  et 
Violet  blue — To  dye  a  handsome,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk 
Vitriol — To  mix  oil  of,  and  indigo .... 

Water — The  eflect  which  it  has  on  dying     . 
Weld  plant — On  the,  as  a  dye,  and  its  cultivation. 
White — Recipe  for  colouring  one   hundred  and  sixty  pounds  of 
woollen  cloth  a  imiform       .... 

To  colour,  on  silk    ...... 

Wine  colour — For  a  rich,  [or  forty-eight  pounds  of  fine  cloth 

For  a  rich,  on  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of 
wool ...... 

P'or  a  rich,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool 

A  fugitive,  in  imitation  of  the  above 

Woad 


F1.GB 

149 

21 

120 

119 

38 

50 

148, 149 

19 


other 


Wood-wax  ......... 

Woollen  goods — To  prepare,  for  the  furnace 

An  improved  method  of  preparing,  for  receiving 

lac-dye,  discovered  by  the  writer  last  year 
A  now  patent  for  fulling      .      '    . 
Wool,  black — Recipe  for  sixteen  pounds  of    . 

Recipe  for  colouring  sixteen  pounds  of,  for  a  black  mixture 
Recipe  for  sixteen  pounds  of,  for  a  black  mixture  . 
Yellow  black,  approacliing  towards  a  jet — To  dye  sixteen  pounds 
To  dye  on  wool  and  woollen  cloth      .... 

To  colour  nine  pounds  of  wool  a  fine .... 

To  colour  eighty-five  pounds  of  wool  of  a  strong 
For  dying,  on  cotton  ...... 

To  dye,  on  silk  ....... 

chrome — To  dye,  on  cotton  and  silk  .... 


APPENDIX 


On  Prussian  blue  Dying. 

In  my  last  edition  I  gave  an  account  of  a  discovery  made 
by  Messrs.  Wm.  Adams  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  of  an  im- 
proved process  of  dying  black  and  Prussian  blue  on  calico. 
I  was  informed,  very  recently,  by  a  large  dyer  of  Frankfort, 
Pennsylvania,  that  he  had  adopted  the  improvement,  and 
had  realized  by  it  many  hundreds  of  dollars.  Such  informa- 
tion is  truly  encouraging,  and  I  hope  many  others  have  ex- 
perienced results  equally  beneficial.  The  discovery  consists 
in  oxydizing  the  iron  before  applying  the  colonng  matter. 
I  am  of  the  opinion  that  dying  and  color-making  are  alto- 
gether the  result  of  oxydizement  and  de-oxydizement. 

It  has  several  times  gone  the  rounds  of  our  newspapers, 
since  I  published  my  last  edition,  that  a  new  blue  for  woolens 
had  been  discovered  superior  to  indigo  in  brilliancy  and 
permanency.  I  would  wish  to  put  our  manufacturers  on 
their  guard  relative  to  this  barefaced  quackery.  It  has  been 
long  known  that  a  Prussian  blue  can  be  made  on  woolen  of 
a  superior  brilliancy  to  indigo  ;  but  it  has  been  as  well 
known  that  this  color  will  not  stand  the  action  of  an  alkali. 
Even  the  soap  used  in  fulling  the  cloth  will  change  the 
color.  In  the  advertisement  of  the  inventor,  he  asserts 
"  that  he  has  discovered  a  means  of  preventing  this  change." 
On  seeing  this  I  sent  to  his  agent,  Mr.  Marshall,  for  a  pat- 
tern of  his  color,  and  I  never  tested  any  Prussian  blue  on 
woolen  that  gave  way  more  readily  on  the  application  of  an 
alkali.  I  can  assure  our  dyers  that  the  property  of  an 
alkali  to  take  prussic  acid  from  iron,  leaving  the  color  a 
dirty  green  drab,  is  a  law  implanted  on  nature  by  supreme 
intelligence,  and  that  man  never  can  prevent  its  action. 
This  color  has  been  applied  to  a  great  variety  of  goods, 


APPENDIX. 


and  its  application  may  be  much  extended.  It  would  answer 
for  carpet  yarn,  or  any  other  fabric  requiring  no  alkali  in  its 
subsequent  manipulations. 


On  the  New  Fulling  Mill. 

I  sent  to  England  to  obtain  a  drawing  and  description  of 
their  new  Fulling  Mill,  offering  twenty-five  pounds  for  it,  but 
in  this  attempt  I  failed.  I  mentioned  this  patent  in  my  last 
edition,  and  have  obtained  very  little  additional  information. 
It  is  said  to  work  with  two  pair  of  rollers,  one  of  the  rollers 
being  a  metallic  cylinder  into  which  steam  is  conveyed.  The 
advantage  is  said  to  be  fully  equal  to  ten  per  cent,  on  the 
value-  of  the  goods,  and  is,  therefore,  of  too  much  conse- 
quence to  our  woolen  factories  to  be  neglected.   * 

I  was  informed  by  a  small  sattinet  manufacturer,  from  the 
state  of  New  Hampshire,  that  he  fulled  his  cloths  with  a  pair 
of  fluted  rollers,  and  that  the  work  was  better  done  than  by 
any  old  process.  This  must  have  been  six  or  seven  years 
since,  as  he  quit  the  business  more  than  five  years  ago.  It 
is  surprising  that  other  manufacturers  have  neglected  to 
follow  an  improvement  so  obviously  beneficial. 


On  Oil  for  Wool. 

The  heavy  duty  on  oil  should  long  since  have  induced  our 
manufacturers  to  find  a  home  supply.  It  is  an  important 
item  in  woolen  manufacturing,  and  can,  no  doubt,  be  obtain- 
ed cheaper  at  home  than  from  foreign  countries.  When  I 
was  in  Kentucky,  finding  oil  very  dear,  I  planted  the  sun- 
flower seed,  had  the  seeds  collected  at  maturity;^  the  oil  ex- 
pressed at  a  common  oil-mill,  and  found  it  when  used  on 
wool  to  be  fully  equal  to  the  best  olive.  I  ascertained  that 
about  forty  gallons  could  be  expressed  from  the  seed  raised 
on  one  acre,  and  that  the  cake  was  equal  to  corn  for  fatting 
hogs  or  poultry. 

The  bene  plant  is  very  abundant  in  Florida,  the  negroes 
using  the  seed  in  their  soup.     The  seeds  of  this  plant  afford 


APPENDIX.  8 

about  three  gallons  of  oil  to  the  bushel,  and  the  cold  expres- 
sion is  fully  equal  to  the  best  table  oil.  The  raising  of  this 
seed  was  prohibited  in  France  many  years  since,  for  fear  of 
its  ruining  the  olive  growers.  I  have  no  doubt  an  ample 
supply  of  this  seed  could  be  obtained  from  Florida  if  proper 
arrangements  were  made.  I  obtained  my  information  from 
Col.  John  Lee  Williams,  St.  Augustine,  Florida.  This 
gentleman  published  a  work  on  Florida  about  two  years 
since,  and  would,  no  doubt,  give  such  uiformation  as  would 
be  required  by  any  respectable  manufacturer. 

They  have  lately  introduced  in  England,  two  other  vege- 
table oils  for  using  on  wool,  the  cocoanut  oil,  and  the  teal  seed 
oil.  The  oil  from  the  cocoanut  is  used  only  during  the  sum- 
mer months,  it  being  too  hard  for  use  in  cold  weather.  The 
teal  seed  oil  is  imported  from  the  East  Indies,  and  all  I  know 
about  it  is,  that  it  has  lately  been  much  used  in  oiling  of  wool 
by  English  woolen  manufacturers,  and  that  a  small  quantity 
has  recently  arrived  in  New  York. 

About  three  years  since  I  heard  of  a  process  by  which  an 
equal  quantity  of  oil  and  water  could  be  mixed,  so  as  to 
make  a  saving  of  about  forty  per  cent,  on  the  quantity  of  oil 
used  on  the  wool.  Having  been  informed  that  such  was 
used  by  the  Pontoosuc  Woolen  Factory,  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  I 
wrote  to  Mr.  Clapp,  part  owner  and  agent  of  that  factory,  to 
make  inquiry  relative  to  the  fact,  and  to  solicit  information 
as  to  the  process.  I  soon  received  the  particulars  from  that 
gentleman,  with  a  request  to  make  any  use  I  pleased  of  it. 
It  is  very  simple,  as  is  every  art  when  understood.  Take 
one  gallon  of  oil,  and  one  gallon  of  water,  and  mix  the  two 
by  adding  as  much  liquid  ammonia  as  will  cause  the  oil  to 
combine  with  the  water — it  requires  from  four  to  six  ounces 
of  single  F.  This  process  will  answer  with  any  kind  of  oil, 
and  should  be  used  by  every  woolen  manufacturer. 


Fraud  on  the  Tare  of  Imparled  Goods. 

There  is  an  evil  rapidly  growing  in  this  country  that  must 
seriously  affect  the  interest  of  our  manufacturers  and  citizens 
of  all  classes.     I  refer  to  the  frauds  on  the  tare  of  imported 


4  APPENDIX. 

articles.  Some  ten  years  since  an  occasional  loss  would  be 
sustained  of  one  or  two  pounds  on  ceroons  of  indigo  ;  so 
much  has  this  fraud  increased,  that  a  loss  of  two  pounds  on 
each  package  is  nothing  thought  of,  it  frequently  extending 
to  six  or  ten  pounds  on  a  ceroon.  In  one  purchase  of 
$16,000  a  loss  was  sustained  of  nearly  $1,000.  Foreigners 
finding  they  can  cheat  us  in  one  article,  have  lately  been 
extending  their  frauds  to  others,  and  I  doubt  not  that  our 
country  is  now  losing  from  two  to  three  millions  of  dollars 
per  annum  by  fraudulent  packages,  and  this  loss  must  ulti- 
mately fall  on  the  consumer.  If  this  operation  be  not  check- 
ed we  shall  soon  be  losers  to  double  and  treble  the  present 
amount.  There  is  one  effectual  cure  for  the  evil — that  the 
actual  tare  be  taken  at  the  customhouse,  and  this  tare  to  be 
allowed  on  sales.  Our  citizens  have  to  detei'mine  if  this 
shall  be  the  only  country  in  which  open  and  direct  fraud 
shall  be  sanctioned  by  the  community. 


To  dye  Turkey  Red  on  200lbs.  of  Cotton  Yarn. 

Boil  the  yarn  six  hours  in  a  lye  of  pearlash  of  1°  Baumc. 
It  is  still  better  to  make  a  soda  lye.  Wash  well,  wring  out 
and  dry. 

Prepare  a  tub  of  cold  water,  holding  sufficient  to  soak  the 
2001bs.  of  yarn — put  in  it  251bs.  of  sheep's  dung,  strained 
through  a  copper  sieve,  add  soda  until  the  liquor  stands  at 
2°  Baume — then  add  8lbs.  of  olive  oil ;  mix  well,  and  work  the 
cotton  in  this  by  2lbs.  at  a  time,  adding  as  much  of  the  liquor 
in  another  tub  as  will  be  sufficient  to  moisten  each  lot 
thoroughly. 

The  above  operation  has  to  be  repeated  six  times,  making 
a  fresh  liquor  for  each  without  sheep's  dung.  Each  time 
prepare  a  fresh  tub  with  soda  1^°  Baume  and  81  bs.  of  olive  oil. 
Between  each  dipping  wring  smoothly,  hang  in  the  air,  and 
then  dry  in  a  warm  room. 

8th,  Make  another  liquor  of  soda  of  2°  Baume,  run  the 
yarn  through  this,  wring  and  dry  as  before. 

Make  another  tub  with  lukewarm  water,  put  the  cotton 
in,  and  let  lie  three  hours — take  it  out,  wash  well,  dry  it  in 
the  air  and  then  in  a  warm  room. 


APPENDIX.  5 

Take  15lbs.  of  blue,  and  Tibs,  of  white  galls,  ground,  pass 
the  cotton  through  this  as  hot  as  the  hand  will  bear — wring 
out,  dry  well,  first  in  the  air,  and  then  in  a  hot  room. 

Boil  201bs.  of  sumach  one  hour,  strain  and  run  the  yarn 
through  this  as  hot  as  the  hand  can  bear — dry  as  before. 

Make  mordant  with  16lbs.  of  alum  and  a  little  pearlash 
— pass  the  cotton  through  this  at  a  moderate  heat ;  dry  as 
before. 

Make  another  liquor  with  26lbs.  of  alum — run  through, 
and  wash  it  thoroughly — no  drying  required. 


To  Dye  the  Red. 

Use  l^lb.  of  the  best  madder  to  each  pound  of  c  tton. 
Let  half  the  madder  be  of  the  best  Avignon  or  French,  and 
the  other  half  of  the  best  Dutch. 

Dye  the  2001bs.  in  three  kettles.  In  each  kettle  use  41bs. 
of  pounded  galls,  and  4  pails  of  bullocks'  blood — add  the 
madder,  SS^lbs.,  to  each  kettle.  Put  the  cotton  in  on  sticks, 
put  fires  under  the  kettles,  handle  the  yarn  well,  and  bring 
to  a  boil  in  1^  hour.  Take  off  the  cotton  from  the  sticks, 
run  strings  through  it,  let  sink  in  the  kettles,  placing  grating 
over  each,  with  weights  enough  on  the  gratings  to  prevent 
the  cotton  from  rising.  Boil  the  cotton  during  20  minutes, 
take  it  out  and  wash  well. 

A  kettle  must  be  prepared  with  a  dome  cover,  having  a 
small  pipe  through  the  centre  at  top.  The  top  must  be 
screwed  down  with  four  screws — the  whole  must  be  very 
strong  to  prevent  the  steam  from  blowing  it  off.  Use  soft 
water,  and  add  to  it  19lbs.  soda — soon  as  the  liquor  boils,  put 
in  the  cotton,  screw  down  the  top,  and  boil  it  12  hours. 
Take  it  out  tiie  following  morning  and  wash  it  well. 

Dissolve  2lbs.  of  salts  of  tin  in  a  tub  of  water,  run  the 
cotton  through,  and  wring  out. 

Take  the  liquor  out  of  dome-kettle,  clean  it  well,  put  in 
soft  water,  add  13lbs.  of  Marseilles  soap,  and  |lb.  salts  of 
tin.  Boil  the  soap  until  dissolved  before  adding  the  tin 
First  dissolve  the  tin  in  water — put  in  the  cotton  and  move 
it  well — stir  the  liquor  well  before  putting  in  the  cotton. 

1* 


6  APPENDIX. 

Wash  perfectly  clean  and  dry  v/ell.     It  is  now  finished. 
N.  B.     If  more  madder  is  used,  use  more  of  the  other 
materials — if  less  madder,  a  smaller  portion. 


To  Dye,  Madder  Broions  dark  and  rich,  on  200lbs.  of  Cotton 
Yarn. 

Prepare  the  same  as  for  red — give  7  dips  in  the  oil  and 
soda,  and  two  dips  iii  a  soda  lye  of  2°  Baume — the  more 
soda,  the  bluer  will  be  the  color. 

Mordants  used  to  prepare  for  dying — 18lbs.  of  nut-galls, 
201bs.  of  alum,  12lbs.  of  copperas,  31bs.  of  blue  vitriol,  and 
lib.  of  verdigris — dissolve  these  in  a  kettle  of  water,  and 
strain  through  a  cloth  without  disturbing  the  bottom.  Work 
the  cotton  through  this  in  two  pounds  each  lot  twice — well 
wash. 

Use  for  dyeing  2601bs.  of  madder — use  the  same  process 
is  for  red,  leaving  out  the  galls  and  bullocks'  blood — after 
^fyeing  boil  in  the  dome-kettle,  with  321bs.  of  soda,  for  1^- 
hour.     Take  out,  wash  thoroughly,  and  dry. 

A  great  variety  of  shades  may  be  produced  by  using  less 
madder,  and  more  or  less  of  copperas  and  blue  vitriol. 


To  dye  92lbs.  of  Saxony  Wool  a  dark  Brown  of  an  Adelaide 
shade. 

First  dye  the  wool  blue  in  the  woad  vat  as  deep  as  for  a 
dark  green,  wash  clean,  and  finish  with  the  following  dye- 
stufis  : 

81bs.  chipped  fustic,  95lbs.  hyper-nic ;  boil  in  bags  two 
hours. 

Boil  the  wool  two  hours.  Sadden  with  l^lb.  ground 
logwood,  l^^lb.  copperas. 

Boil  the  wool  one  hour,  let  it  lie  in  the  liquor  eight  hours, 
land  and  wash. 


APPENDIX.  7 

For  a  deep  Bronze  Green. 

To  dye  107lbs.  of  clean  wool — give  a  light  shade  of  blue 
in  the  woad  vat,  and  wash  well.     Boil  in  kettle. 

701bs.  fustic  for  three  hours,  then  add  9lbs.  redwood, 
lOlbs.  mull  madder,  and  5lbs.  of  ground  logwood.  Boil 
wares  two  hours,  and  wool  two  hours,  then  sadden  with 
41bs.  alum,  and  |lb.  of  copperas,  boil  wool  one  hour,  and 
add  to  the  liquor  71bs.  ground  fustic,  3lbs.  mull  madder, 
l^lbs.  alum.  Just  bring  the  liquor  to  a  boil,  draw  the  fire, 
and  let  lie  eight  hours — land  and  wash. 

For  a  beautiful  Adelaide  on  lOOlbs.  Saxony  wool.  To  be 
dyed  a  light  shade  of  blue  in  the  woad  vat,  and  well  washed. 
Boil  in  kettle  TOlbs,  of  hyper-nic  and  2lbs.  of  argol  for  1^ 
hour — boil  the  wool  li  hour — then  add  4lbs.  of  ground  log- 
wood,  and  lib.  of  copperas,  boil  wool  1  hour,  lie  in  1  hour, 
pump  up,  run  off,  and  wash  well. 

To  dye  lOSlbs.  Saxony  wool  a  dark  olive  green.  To  be 
dyed  a  light  shade  of  blue  in  the  woad  vat,  and  well  washed. 
Boil  in  kettle  llOlbs.  of  chipped  fustic  for  21  hours,  then  add 
thirty  pounds  of  mull  madder,  and  eight  pounds  of  bar- 
wood — boil  half  hour,  put  in  the  wool  and  boil  it  2i  hours — 
then  add  5lbs.  of  alum,  and  5lbs.  of  mull  madder,  boil  one 
hour,  let  the  wool  lie  in  all  night,  land  and  wash  well. 


To  dye  llilbs.  Saxony  Wool  a  beautiful  arid  permanent 
Brown. 

Boil  851bs.  fustick  in  bags  for  2  hours  ;  take  out  the  bags 
and  add  to  the  liquor  24lbs.  barwood,  12lbs.  mull  madder, 
and  lib.  of  logwood,  boil  liquor  one  hour,  run  up,  heave  the 
wool  in,  handle  well  and  boil  two  hours — cool  down  and 
strew  over  SIbs.  alum,  2lbs.  logwood,  and  l^lb.  copperas, 
boil  one  hour,  lie  in  liquor  seven  hours,  land,  wash  well,  and 
then  blue  in  the  woad  vat  until  of  the  required  shade.  A 
great  variety  of  shades  may  be  made,  by  giving  more  or  less 
of  the  blue,  as  well  as  by  adding  or  diminishing  the  propor- 
tions of  dye-stuffs. 


4 
8  APPENDIX. 

To  dye  lOOlbs.  Saxony  Wool  a  light  Invisible  Green. 

First  prepare  the  wool  by  boiling  it  in  a  clear  liquor  of 
alum,  using  261bs.  for  one  hour,  land  and  wash. 

Prepare  a  kettle  with  clean  watei*,  add  SOlbs.  of  weld, 
lOlbs.  of  fustick,  and  5lbs.  of  logwood — boil  the  wares  2 
hours,  and  the  wool  two,  cool  down  and  sadden  with  2lbs. 
ground  logwood,  and  one  of  copperas,  boil  wool  one  hour, 
let  lie  cooling  7  hours,  wash  well,  and  dye  in  blue  vat  to  the 
color  wanted. 

Note — That  as  weld  is  very  little  in  use  here,  half  the 
quantity  of  quercitron  bark  may  be  used,  or  two  thirds  as 
much  of  fustic. 

A  great  variety  of  shades  of  invisible  green  may  be  made 
by  increasing  the  proportion  of  logwood  in  the  preparation, 
and  by  adding  lighter  or  darker  shades  of  blue 


To  dye  12'! lbs.  Saxony  Wool  a  deep  Tea  Brown,  inclining  to 
Olive, 

Boil  in  bags  SOlbs.  fustick,  and  13lbs.  of  logwood  for  3 
hours,  take  out  the  bags,  and  add  to  the  liquor  61bs.  of  bar- 
wood,  and  3lbs.  of  ground  logwood — boil  the  wool  in  this  for 
two  hours,  then  sadden  with  2lbs.  of  alum,  and  2|lbs.  of 
copperas,  and  3lbs.  of  logwood,  boil  1  hour,  let  lie  in  9 
hours,  land,  wash  well,  and  then  dye  in  blue  vat  to  the  re-  _ 
quired  shade. 


To  dye  SOlbs.  of  Saxony  Wool  a  light  and  beautiful  Brown. 

Boil  in  bags  701bs.  of  fustick  for  2i  hours,  then  add  to  the 
liquor  131bs.  barwood,  71bs,  mull  madder,  and  3lbs.  of 
ground  logwood,  heave  in  the  wool  and  boil  2  hours,  cool 
down  and  sadden  with  4lbs.  alum  and  lib.  of  copperas,  boil 
11  hour,  lie  in  7  hours,  land,  wash,  and  dye  in  blue  vat  to 
pattern — a  vat  very  weak  of  indigo  must  be  used  for  light 
colors. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Dying  is  in  every  branch  a  chymical  art,  and  the  play  of 
affinities  are  so  numerous,  and  in  most  instances  so  rapid,  as 
entirely  to  escape  the  notice  of  common  workmen.  Menof 
science  have  paid  but  little  attention  to  this  art,  nor  can  it 
be  expected  they  will  pay  much  till  other  more  interesting 
subjects  are  perfected,  as  it  will  require  much  time,  and 
numberless  tedious  and  expensive  experiments.  The  im- 
provements that  have  been  made  during  the  last  twenty 
years,  and  they  have  been  numerous,  have  been  developed 
by  practical  men,  possessing  more  or  less  scientific  know- 
ledge. 

I  would  strongly  urge  every  practical  dyer,  who  may  be 
desirous  of  attaining  eminence  in  the  art,  as  also  for  the 
purpose  of  making  money  by  economizing  in  his  processes,  to 
make  chymical  science  his  particular  study,  and  to  embrace 
every  opportunity  of  attending  lectures,  until  he  becomes 
sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  science  to  understand  what 
is  going  on  in  his  own  business.  A  dyer,  totally  ignorant 
of  chymistry,  can  form  no  conception  of  any  process  he 
pursues ;  he  follows  his  business  mechanically,  making  no 
colours  but  such  as  he  has  been  taught  to  make,  and  should 
he  stumble  on  any  thing  new,  it  must  be  merely  the  effect 
of  chance,  often  costing  more  than  its  worth.  A  dyer,  on 
the  contrary,  who  has  made  himself  commonly  proficient  in 
chymistry,  will  oft;en  make  discoveries  highly  beneficial  to 
himself,  and  when  made  known,  conferring  wealth  on  the 
general  community.  Another  consideration,  of  high  import, 
is  the  relative  change  that  takes  place  in  tlie  situation  of  the 
dyer  himself.  From  being  a  mere  meclianical  drudge,  igno- 
rant of  every  process  that  passes  before  him,  he  b(;comes  the 
intelligent  operator,  charmed  with  his  pursuit,  and  standing 
high  in  the  estimation  of  his  most  intelligent  fcUow-citizens. 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

The  government  of  this  country  has  lately  changed  its 
views,  and  the  protective  system,  under  which  we  had  pros- 
pered  so  highly,  has  been  destroyed.  This  will  make  it  more 
than  ever  necessary,  that  our  dyers  and  manufacturers  should 
economize  in  their  various  pursuits,  and  become  as  perfect  m 
their  manipulations  as  they  are  in  other  countries,  foi*  without 
this  they  must  resign  all  hope  of  competing  with  their  foreign 
opponents. 

This  change  in  the  protective  policy  of  the  country  may 
probably  produce  other  effects  that  will  make  it  desirable 
our  farmers  should  understand  dying,  as  well  as  the  manu- 
facturers. It  is  pretty  certain  that  in  less  than  ten  years 
nearly  all  our  small,  and  very  many  of  our  large  woollen 
manufacturers,  will  be  broken  down  by  foreign  competition. 
After  this  has  been  effected,  all  kinds  of  goods  will  rise  in 
value,  and  as  the  present  consumers  of  agricultural  products 
will  have  become  producers,  the  farmers  must  return  to 
domestic  manufactures  to  enable  them  to  support  their  fami- 
lies. With  a  view  to  this  change,  I  have  reduced  the  scale 
of  my  recipes  so  as  to  come  within  the  consumption  of 
families.  It  will  be  perceived  that  each  recipe  for  woollens 
is  given  for  sixteen  pounds  of  cloth,  having  ascertained  that 
family-made  woollens  are  usually  twenty  yards,  weighing 
sixteen  pounds.  I  have  frequently  been  solicited  to  make 
this  reduction,  by  country  clothiers. 

Since  my  last  work  was  published,  a  number  of  new 
materials  have  been  employed  in  dying,  several  of  them  of 
great  importance  to  the  practical  dyer.  Such  as  the  colour- 
ing matter  of  the  coccus  lacca,  or  lac  dye ;  those  obtained 
from  chromates,  and  the  prussian  blue  colours — all  of  which 
will  be  particularized  when  recipes  are  given. 

A  scarlet  is  produced  from  the  lac  dye  fully  equal  to  that 
from  cochineal,  and  at  less  than  half  the  expense.  Even  the 
dull  red  "from  madder  is  more  expensive.  Lac  dye  cannot 
be  used  for  all  colours  as  a  substitute  for  cochineal,  because 
it  will  not  turn  blue  bv  the  application  of  alkalis,  theretore 
it  is  useless  in  pinks,  and  does  not  succeed  well  in  crimson ; 
but  tliis  very  property  enhances  its  value  as  a  scarlet  dye, 
for  lac  wiii  not  pink  by  perspiration,  whereas  cochineal  will 
lose  its  brilliancy  by  one  day's  wear  in  v/arm  weather.  This 
colouring  matter  has  not  yet  been  applied  to  cotton  goods, 
and  by  only  one  dyer,  to  my  knowledge,  on  silk. 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

Brilliant  and  beautiful  yellows  and  oranges  are  now  ob- 
tained from  clironiatcs  of  potasli,  and  any  salts  containing 
lead.  This  colour  is  a])plied  exclusively  to  cotton  goods. 
Silk  can  be  coloured  with  it,  but  the  texture  appears  to  be  so 
seriously  uijured  as  to  leave  it  with  much  the  appearance  of 
cotton.  The  cotton  is  first  dipped  in  a  solution  of  acctite  or 
nitrate  of  lead,  and  then  in  a  solution  of  bichromate  of  potash, 
when  a  most  brilliant  and  tolei'ably  permanent  yellow  is 
produced.  By  the  use  of  lime-water  a  good  orange  can  be 
obtained. 

Prussian  blues  have  been  made  on  silk  and  cotton  some 
ten  or  twelve  years,  and  its  appli^tion  is  increasing.  On 
woollen  goods  this  colour  has  not  been  much  used.  The 
great  diftlculty  in  dymg  prussian  blue  on  woollens,  arose  from 
the  very  unequal  manner  the  colouring  matter  was  received 
on  such  fabrics.  This  difficulty  has  been  obviated  by  what 
is  termed  the  clearing  process,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  recipes 
given  for  such  colours.  I  shall  give  some  instructions  relative 
to  a  new  mode  of  producing  prussian  blues  on  all  descriptions 
of  goods,  originating  with  myself,  which  has  been  tried  by  a 
practical  workman  and  found  eminently  successful. 

I  would  call  the  attention  of  our  dyers  to  one  particular 
in  the  application  of  mordants  in  the  process  of  colouring. 

It  has  been  ascertained,  by  actual  experiment,  that  white 
goods  impregnated  with  mordants,  uncombined  with  colour- 
ing matter,  will  give  out  again  all  their  mordants  unchanged 
if  washed  much  in  water,  a  fact  which  every  dyer  should  be 
aware  of,  as  many  of  them  are  taught  to  wash  their  goods 
after  being  saturated  with  mordants.  There  can  be  but  few 
dyers  so  ignorant  as  not  to  know  that  when  more  than  the 
loose  mordants  are  washed  off,  the  colour  will  be  weak  and 
imperfect.  It  has  also  been  proved  that  when  a  small  portion 
of  colouring  matter  is  combined  in  the  goods  with  the  mor- 
dants, the  latter  cannot  be  washed  out  with  water.  It  is 
evident,  therefore,  that  in  all  cases  where  the  colour  will 
allow  of  it,  a  portion  of  the  colouring  matter  should  be  used 
with  the  mordants ;  and  where  this  is  not  allowable,  a  very 
slight  washing  should  be  given  to  the  goods,  and  none  if  the 
colour  can  be  obtained  as  well  without  it. 

Our  dyers  have,  wiihin  a  few  years,  made  great  progress 
in  the  art.  This  improvement  may  have  been,  in  many 
instances,  the  result  of  information  given  in  my  work,  and 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

from  recipes  subsequently  given  on  personal  application,  as 
well  as  by  letter ;  but  I  attribute  it  more  to  the  arrival  in 
this  country  of  numerous  first-rate  dyers  and  colourmen  from 
all  parts  of  Europe,  and  to  the  judgment  acquired  by  a  more 
extensive  practice.  There  is  still  abundant  room  for  further 
improvement,  and  I  would  suggest  that  a  more  liberal  com- 
municatlon  of  new  facts  be  made  known  as  they  arise.  I  do 
not  mean  that  a  dyer,  who  makes  his  Uving  by  the  art, 
should  communicate  his  secret  processes ;  but  there  are  many 
facts  continually  developed  during  the  manipulations  of  every 
dyer,  which  could  do  him  no  injury  if  made  known,  that 
might  in  the  hands  of  mgp-e  scientific  workmen  lead  to  results 
highly  important  to  the  art. 

I  am  well  aware  that  very  many  men  are  so  selfish  as  never 
to  give  information  to  others,  nor  ever  give  credit  to  those 
from  whom  they  receive  valuable  information ;  but  the  exclu- 
sive selfishness  of  the  few  ought  never  to  check  the  spread 
of  intelligence  by  the  more  liberal  pai't  of  the  community. 
It  is  with  much  pleasure  I  acknowledged  numerous  obliga- 
tions of  this  kind,  and  I  will  mention  one  from  which  valu- 
able results  may  ensue.  Sometime  last  summer,  the  Messrs. 
William  Adams  &  Co.,  of  this  city,  presented  me  with  sam- 
ples of  black  calico  coloured  in  two  hours  from  the  white 
ground.  As  black  on  cotton  had  never,  to  my  knowledge, 
been  done  in  less  than  three  or  four  days,  and  usually  occu- 
pying a  week  ;  and  as  the  colours  were  better  than  the  general 
run,  I  requested  an  account  of  their  process,  which  they  very 
readily  communicated.  It  was  effected  by  merely  running 
the  goods  through  a  weak  solution  of  chloride  of  lime,  after 
they  were  impregnated  with  the  iron  liquor.  It  was  evident 
that  this  beneficial  effect  was  brought  about  solely  by  a  more 
than  usually  ^'apid  oxydizement  of  the  iron  previously  given 
to  the  calico.  The  superiority  of  the  colours  by  this  new 
process,  proves  that  the  oxydizement  of  the  iron  is  more  com- 
plete than  when  produced  by  atmospheric  exposure.  It 
immediately  occurred  to  me,  that  the  application  might  be 
usefully  extended  to  all  processes  in  dying  in  which  a  high 
state  of  metallic  oxyde  was  required.  Prussian  blue  colours 
depending  altogether  on  the  state  of  the  oxyde  iron  given  to 
the  goods  previously  to  dipping  them  into  a  solution  of  prus- 
siate  of  potash,  I  inferred  that  a  chloride  solution  would 
much  improve  the  present  process.     In  a  few  days  after  I 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

had  come  to  this  conclusion,  I  persuaded  a  dyer  in  the  city 
to  try  it,  ho  having  complained  of  the  difficu.lty  he  met  with 
in  giving  sufficient  body  to  his  colours.  In  a  few  days  he 
returned  highly  elated  with  his  success,  and  informed  me  that 
it  had  acted  like  a  charm  ;  that  his  colours  were  full-bodied 
at  one  dip,  that  the  iron  did  not  leave  the  goods  as  before, 
and  that  the  tints  were  unusually  rich. 

In  dying  of  woollen  goods  it  is  of  the  first  importance  they 
should  be  made  perfectly  clean  before  any  mordant  or  colour- 
ing matter  be  put  on  them.  Our  dyers  are  too  generally 
negligent  in  this  branch  of  their  operations.  They  are  too 
apt  to  consider  that  goods  from  the  fulling-mill  are  clean  after 
being  washed  from  tlie  soap,  without  being  aware  that  water 
can  never  wash  all  the  soap  from  woollen,  and  that  what 
remams  in  the  goods,  will,  when  decomposed  by  any  of  the 
salts  or  acids,  lose  the  alkali  of  the  soap,  and  liberate  the 
oleaginous  matter  "as  free  grease.  In  this  state  no  goods 
will  ever  receive  a  bright  and  permanent  colour. 

Fullers-earth  should  be  used  altogether  as  the  ultimate 
cleansing  material.  No  other  substance,  at  present  known, 
will  answer  as  well,  for  when  well  washed  out,  it  leaves 
nothing  remainmg  that  can  injure  the  most  delicate  tints  of 
colours. 

All  dark-coloured  goods,  particularly  blue  and  black,  should 
also  be  cleansed  with  fullers-earth.  Blacks  when  cleansed 
with  soap  will  have  a  brown  tinge,  and  lose  all  their  bril- 
liancy, assuming  the  appearance  of  half- worn  colours.  Blues 
when  finished  with  soap  are  left  witli  a  mealy  ground,  that 
seriously  injures  the  appearance  of  the  goods,  and.  lessens  their 
value  in  the  market. 

I  shall  give  a  particular  description  of  this  process  under 
the  head  of  cleansing  of  woollens,  and  I  would  staongly  urge 
every  dyer  to  give  the  process  a  fair  trial  with  gcuume  fullers- 
earth,  and  ascertain  by  actual  experiment  the  decided  advan- 
tages resulting  from  it. 

I  would  call  the  attention  of  our  dyers  to  the  necessity  of 
using  given  weights  and  measures  in  all  their  processes. 
Every  practical  dvcr,  of  much  experience,  must  be  aware  that 
he  never  can  employ  the  recipes  of  otiiei-s  with  any  certainty 
of  successftd  results,  unless  he  shall  have  received  them  from 
a  person  who  practised  them  in  the  same  dye-house,  and  with 
the  same  water.     Any  dyer  who  is  attentive  to  his  business, 

2 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

may  acquire  celebrity  in  a  few  months  by  weighing  his  ma- 
terials, writing  down  the  recipes,  and  adding  to  each  recipe 
a  pattern  of  the  colour  produced.  And  this  is  the  only  means 
by  which  a  dyer  can  become  proficient  in  his  art,  for  colours 
are  continually  varying;  that  which  is  fashionable  one  year 
going  out  and  another  succeeding  it.  I  have  known  colours 
fashionable  for  a  season,  the  next  season  entirely  out,  being 
totally  neglected  for  thirt)^  years,  and  then  again  become 
fashionable.  If  books  of  recipes  with  patterns  attached  to 
them  were  kept  by  our  dyers  for  each  colour,  and  every 
material  variation  in  the  sliade  of  each,  they  could  never  be 
at  a  loss  to  colour  and  match  every  new  colour.  This  is  the 
common  practice  of  every  dyer  in  England  that  has  attained 
a  name,  and  those  who  pursue  the  plan  go  on  with  much  more 
ease  to  themselves,  much  greater  certainty  in  obtaining  correct 
results,  and  with  more  economy  in  producing  their  colours. 


PREPARATORY    PROCESSES. 


Scouring  of  Wool. 

This  is  an  important  operation,  much  more  so  than  is 
generally  imagined  by  those  who  are  not  well  versed  in  the 
art  of  dying  and  manufacturing;  for  unless  the  wool  be  well 
scoured,  and  thoroughly  cleansed  from  the  yolk  and  grease, 
the  subsequent  operations  will  be  materially  injured,  as  ;^od 
colours,  or  good  cloth,  never  can  be  made  from  wool  badly 
scoured. 

For  scoriring,  a  shallow  conical  furnace  is  employed,  hold- 
ing from  one  to  two  hundred  gallons,  according  with  the 
extent  of  the  factory,  which  may  be  made  either  of  copper 
or  iron.  It  is  set  in  brick-work  as  other  furnaces  are  ;  but 
the  fire  is  never  permitted  to  reach  more  than  one-third  of 
its  height.  If  the  furnace  is  three  feet  deep,  the  fire  being 
under  the  bottom,  it  should  be  closed  by  brick-work  at  one 
foot  above  the  fire. 

The  apparatus  used  for  washing  of  wool,  after  it  is  taken 
from  the  furnace,  is  uniformly  of  an  oblong  square  ;  but  they 
are  constructed  of  different  materials,  and  vary  in  the  mode 
of  applying  the  water.  Some  are  merely  willow-baskets ; 
others  arc  made  of  board  on  the  bottom  and  sides  for  about 
half  their  height,  the  upper  part  being  constructed  of  strong 
open  wire-work,  with  a  wooden  curb  around  the  top.  Some 
few  are  made  entirely  of  sheet  copper,  with  holes  perforated 
about  halfway  from  the  top  downwards :  these  are  always 
placed  in  running  streams  where  the  water  is  not  too  rapid, 
such  as  mill-ponds,  or  tail-races.  The  current  should  be 
strong  enough  to  keep  the  water .  inside  the  washer  continu- 
ally changing,  yet  not  so  strong  as  to  drive  the  wool  too  hard 
against  the  side  opposite  to  where  it  enters,  which  will  be 
attended  with  considerable  delay  and.  trouble,  as  well  as  with 
a  loss  of  wool,  for  many  of  the  finer  locks  will  be  washed 
through  the  wires,  or  over  the  top  of  the  curb. 


16  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

An  apparatus  superior  to  either  of  the  above  is  now  gene- 
rally  used  for  washing  of  wool,  where  a  head  of  water  from 
five  feet  upwards,  can  be  obtained.  The  shape  of  this  ia 
also  an  oblong  square,  and  for  a  full-sized  washer  is  five  feet 
long,  two  feet  three  inches  wide,  and  the  same  in  depth  :  a 
stout  false  bottom  is  added  about  three  inches  above  the  reai 
one — in  it  are  drilled  an  indefinite  number  of  small  holes, 
about  three-eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  the  water  is 
conveyed  in  between  the  two  bottoms  by  means  of  a  two  or 
three  inch  pipe,  into  which  a  cock  is  placed  to  stop  the  sup- 
ply when  necessary.  A  number  of  small  holes  are  drilled 
in  the  ends  and  sides  of  the  washer,  twelve  inches  from  the 
top,  to  let  the  foul  water  run  off.  When  the  water  is  turned 
on,  it  will  be  forced  up  through  the  drilled  holes  with  a 
power  equal  to  the  weight  of  the  columiu,  which  is  sufficient 
with  a  fall  of  five  or  six  feet  to  keep  the  surface  in  a  state 
of  constant  ebullition.  When  scoured  wool  is  thrown  into 
one  of  these  machines,  it  is  kept  floating  and  in  rapid  motion 
on  the  surface,  by  the  upward  pressure  of  the  column,  and 
the  foul  water  passes  off  through  the  holes  on  the  top.  The 
workman  stands  on  one  side  of  the  washer  and  moves  the 
wool  backwards  and  forwards  with  a  jerking  motion,  by 
means  of  an  iron  prong,  until  the  water  passes  through  it 
perfectly  limpid — when  he  throws  out  that  quantity  and  re- 
places it  by  another. 

In  constructing  this  machine,  it  is  necessary  to  be  guarded 
in  two  particular  circumstances ;  first,  that  the  united  capa- 
city of  the  holes  drilled  in  the  false  bottom,  be  not  quite  equal 
to  deliver  all  the  water  supplied  by  the  column :  for  when 
this  happens,  the  supply  will  operate  partially,  and  the 
designed  effect  be  in  a  great  measure  destroyed.  In  the 
next  place  it  is  necessary  that  the  holes  drilled  around  the 
vessel,  to  let  off  the  foul  water,  shall  be  sufficient  to  let  oft 
all  that  the  column  may  supply,  when  the  wool  is  in  the 
basket,  without  permitting  the  water  to  rise  to  the  top  ;  unless 
this  is  attended  to,  the  water  will  flow  over  the  washer  and 
take  the  wool  with  it. 


To  make  the  Scouring  Liquor. 

Animal  urine  is  the  material  mostly  used  for  scouring  of 
wool.     The  volatile  alkali,  that  part  of  the  urine  which  com- 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  17 

bines  with  the  grease  and  yolk,  does  not  injure  wool,  unless 
it  be  in  considerable  excess,  or  too  much  heat  be  applied ; 
whereas  the  fixed  alkalis  operate  so  powerfully  as  to  dissolve 
a  portion  of  the  wool  at  a  temperature  that  will  scour  it. 

Urine  that  is  fresh  voided  will  not  scour  well.  That  from 
persons  living  on  plain  diet,  is  stronger  and  better  than  from 
luxurious  livers.  The  cider  and  gin  drinkers  are  considered 
to  produce  the  worst,  and  the  beer  drinker  the  best.  When 
urine  is  collected,  it  should  be  kept  in  close  vessels  until  it 
has  completely  undergone  those  clumges  by  which  its  ammo- 
nia is  developed. 

To  make  a  new  liquor  for  scouring  fine  wool,  use  one 
bucket  of  urine  to  two  of  water.  Some  wool  requires  more 
and  some  less  of  urine ;  if  too  much  is  used,  the  wool  will 
be  stringy  and  ditlicult  to  work  ;  if  too  small  a  quantity,  the 
yolk  and  grease  will  not  be  cleansed  out  of  it.  The  same 
portions  of  urine  and  water  as  are  used  in  making  a  new 
liquor,  should  be  employed  in  filling  up  during  the  progress 
of  the  work.  The  urine  should  be  old,  and  the  water  the 
softest  that  .can  be  procured.  It  occasionally  happens  that  a 
liquor,  when  fresh  made,  will  not  scour  well ;  whenever  this 
occurs,  mix  one  or  two  quarts  of  soap  in  hot  water,  and  add 
it  to  the  liquor ;  but  this  should  never  be  done  if  the  men- 
struum will  scour  well  without  it. 

When  a  liquor  is  prepared,  a  frame  with  cross-bars  must 
be  placed  over  the  furnace,  resting  on  the  curb ;  this  is  in- 
tended to  receive  the  wool  when  taken  out  of  the  furnace. 
As  much  wool  is  immersed  in  the  furnace  at  once  as  will 
work  easy  therein ;  wlien  entered,  it  requires  to  be  worked 
backwarks  and  forwards  for  five  minutes,  and  to  remain  in 
from  about  fifteen  to  twenty-five,  or  till  the  yolk  and  grease 
have  combined  with  the  ammonia.  To  know  Avhen  the  solu- 
tion is  complete,  take  a  handfid  from  the  furnace,  squeeze 
the  liquor  out  of  it,  and  wash  it  in  water.  This  sample  will 
show  if  it  be  clean.  When  clean,  take  it  from  the  liquor 
and  throw  it  on  the  cross-bars  over  the  furnace,  leaving  it  ten 
minutes  to  drain  ;  then  throw  in  another  quantity,  and  work 
as  before.  Wash  that  which  has  drained,  as  before  directed, 
till  perfectly  clean. 

The  scouring  liquor  should  not  be  too  cold  nor  too  hot ;  the 
proper  temperature  is  from  one  hundred  and  twenty  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty  degrees,  Fahrenheit,  and  it  should  never 

2* 


18  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

be  lower  than  one  hundred  and  twenty.  If  the  wool  be  im- 
mersed in  too  hot  a  liquor,  it  will  be  slammed,  as  the  work- 
men call  it — that  is,  it  will  become  matted  and  stringy,  and 
the  yiolk  will  become  so  permanently  fixed  in  it,  as  to  be  im- 
moveable by  any  subsequent  process.  When,  therefore,  a 
new  liquor  is  to  be  made,  and  also  every  morning  before  the 
work  begins,  let  the  workmen  take  a  handful  of  unsecured  wool 
and  dip  it  five  or  six  times  in  the  liquor,  and  then  wash  it  to  tr}^ 
if  it  be  clean :  if  the  sample  does  not  scour  well,  the  heat  must 
either  be  raised  or  lowered,  and  if  this  does  not-  produce  the 
desired  effect,  the  error  musf  be  either  in  the  weakness  or 
strength  of  the  liquor,  and  more  urine,  or  more  water  must 
be  added,  according  to  the  experience  of  the  workman. 

When  wool  has  been  scoured,  that  part  which  has  to  be 
coloured,  is  sent  to  the  dye-house,  and  tliat  which  is  intended 
to  be  dried  for  white  work  or  mixtures,  is  spread  out  on  sheets, 
or  platforms,  and  exposed  to  the  sun  and  air  to  dry.  In  bad 
weather  wool  must  be  dried  in  stoves. 


A  New  Scouring  Liquor. 

Another  mode  of  scouring  wool  has  been  invented  in  this 
country  since  I  published  my  former  work  ;  the  process  is  as 
follows :  take  one  quart  of  olive  oil,  and  half  a  pint  of  oil 
of  vitriol,  mix  well  by  stirring,  and  let  the  mixture  stand  for 
twenty-four  hours.  To  fifty  quarts  of  water,  use  five  pounds 
of  potash.  The  water  should  be  boiling,  and  the  potash  well 
dissolved.  Reduce  the  temperature  to  about  one  hundred 
degrees,  and  mix  with  it  half  a  pint  of  the  composition.  With 
this,  and  in  the  above  proportions,  the  scouring  liquor  is  made. 
The  workmanship  in  this,  is  the  same  as  before  described. 


An  entire  new  process  for  Scouring  of  Wool. 

I  have  received,  since  this  work  has  been  in  press,  a  new 
material  for  scouring  of  wool,  called  the  patent  extract  of 
quilliag.  I  have  tried  some  very  foul  wool,  with  a  solution 
of  the  extract  at  the  temperature  of  new  milk,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  it  was  washed,  proving  perfectly  clean,  and  when 
dry  retained  a  peculiar  soft  and  silky  feeling.  I  do  not  hesitate 
to  say  that  it  is  by  far  the  best  material  that  has  ever  been 
used  for  the  purpose. 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  19 

It  is  used  with  singular  advantages  in  cleansing  of  coloured 
cloth,  as  it  will  make  blues  and  blacks  perfectly  clean,  and 
give  them  a  great  lustre.  It  is  also  used  in  the  finishing  of 
woollen  cloth  by  merely  sponging  the  face.  A  Yorkshire 
manufacturer,  in  his  letter  to  the  agent,  accompanying  an 
order  for  the  extract,  gives  the  following  account  of  it : — "  I 
have  tried  it  in  the  fuiishing  of  broadcloths,  and  have  been 
really  astonished  at  the  effect ;  a  cloth  at  fourteen  shillings 
a  yard,  finished  with  the  extract,  has  the  lustre  and  feeling  of 
one  at  twenty  shillings,  finished  in  the  old  way.  This  con- 
sists in  the  beautiful  lustre  and  soft  feeling  it  gives  the  cloth, 
without  the  old  method  of  pressing  with  heat." 

Perhaps  nothing  will  demonstrate  its  powerful  effects  more, 
on  a  more  simple  experiment,  than  to  take  the  half- worn  coat, 
wash  it  in  the  quilliag  and  dry  it  in  the  sun,  and  it  will  have 
the  lustre  as  fine  as  the  day  it  came  out  of  the  tailor's  hands. 
In  such  a  country  as  the  United  States,  it  is  an  article  of  the 
first  importance,  as  it  will  be  a  decided  help  to  the  growing 
manufactures,  and  do  more  than  any  thing  else  to  assist  her 
to  struggle  against  foreign  manufacturers  who  take  advantage 
of  every  assistance  the  arts  or  sciences  can  afford,  to  bring 
their  goods  cheap  to  market. 

The  general  proportions  to  use  the  extract,  is  one  pound 
of  the  extract  to  eighty  gallons  of  water ;  but  in  regulating 
this,  the  manufacturer  will  be  the  best  judge,  as  some  kinds 
of  cloths  may  require  a  stronger  solution  than  others. 


To  make  Tin  Liquors,  for  Scarlet  and  other  colours. 

These  preparations  are  always  made  in  glass  or  stone  ware 
vessels.  In  woollen  dying,  the  acids  are  never  saturated  with 
tin,  and  the  pots  are  usually  placed  in  cold  water,  when  nitro- 
muriates  are  prepai'ed.  When  tin  liquors  highly  saturated 
with  tin  are  wanting,  the  operation  is  performed  in  a  sand 
heat. 


To  ■prepare  Nitro-muriate  of  Tin,  for  icoollen  dying. 

Into  each  pot  put  four  pints  of  single  aquafortis,  or  two 
and  "a  half  of  duplex  ;  add  two  pints  of  water  to  the  single, 
and  three  or  four  to  the  duplex  :  put  into  each  pot  a  handful 
of  white  blown  salt,  and  each  requires  about  eight  ounces  of 


20  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

granulated  tin.  The  tin  is  supplied  gradually,  a  small  hand- 
ful at  a  time  into  each  pot,  which  must  be  kept  stirred  until  it 
is  nearly  dissolved,  when  add  another  handful  till  the  whole 
is  in  solution.  The  stirring  should  be  performed  with  a  rod 
of  white  basket-willow,  or  glass.  Some  dyers  use  sal-ammo- 
niac in  place  of  salt ;  but  any  salt  whose  base  is  muriatic 
acid,  and  whose  component  part  will  not  injure  the  solution, 
will  answer  for  this  purpose ;  for  the  only  use  of  a  muriate 
is  to  enable  the  aquafortis  to  hold  the  tin  in  solution. 


To  prepare  Muriate  of  Tin. 
Muriatic  acid,  or  what  is  commonly  called  spirit  of  salt, 
is  often  prepared  separately,  and  the  solution  added  in  given 
proportions,  to  the  nitro-muriate  before  using  it.  Sometimes, 
and  in  many  colours  of  late,  the  muriate  of  tin  is  used  without 
any  admixture  ;  this  is  particularly  the  case  with  the  lac  dye 
on  woollens,  and  in  many  colours  on  cottons.  Muriates  are 
sometimes  prepared  with  a  small  quantity  of  tin,  and  are 
spmetimes  highly  saturated ;  the  former  mostly  used  for 
woollen  dying,  the  latter  for  cotton.  The  weaker  solutions 
may  be  prepared  cold,  by  merely  putting  into  the  acid  as 
much  tin  as  the  particular  preparation  requires,  and  leaving 
it  until  dissolved.  This  will  answer  for  muriates,  when  the  spe- 
cific gravity  of  the  acid  is  21°  or  22°  Baume,  and  not  more 
than  two  ounces  of  tin  to  each  pound  of  acid  is  required  in 
solution ;  but  when  a  greater  portion  of  tin  is  required  to  be 
taken  up  by  the  acid,  a  sand  heat  must  be  employed  ;  by 
which  means  an  acid,  of  the  gravity  abovementioned,  may 
be  made  to  take  up  its  weight  of  tin. 


To  prepare  Sulpho-viuriute  of  Tin. 

Take  in  the  proportion  of  two  pounds  of  muriatic  acid  to 
one  of  oil  of  vitriol.  Add  to  two  pounds  of  muriatic  acid, 
four  or  five  ounces  of  tin,  let  it  dissolve,  and  then  gradually 
add  one  pound  of  oil  of  vitriol.  In  two  or  three  days  the 
solution  will  be  fit  for  use. 


To  make  Nilro-muriate  of  Tin. 

Take  five  measures  of  muriate  of  tin  at  120°  Tweedle; 
add  to  it  one  measure  of  nitrous  acid  at  90°  Tweedle.     A 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  21 

great  action,  or  effervescence,  takes  place  as  soon  as  the 
nitrous  acid  is  added  to  the  muriate,  which  makes  it  neces- 
sary to  have  larger  vessels,  in  proportion  to  the  quantity 
prepared,  than  for  common  solutions. 


To  test  Tin,  for  Copjier  or  Lead. 

Tin  of  commerce  frequently  contains  cither  a  minute  por- 
tion of  copper  or  lead,  and  sometimes  both  these  metals  are 
present.  In  all  delicate  colours,  the  presence  of  either  of  these 
metals,  however  minute  the  quantity,  must  be  injurious,  there- 
fore the  dyer  should  understand  how  to  detect  them.  "  To 
ascertain  the  purity  of  tin  by  means  of  nitric  acid,  put  one 
part  of  the  filings  of  the  suspected  metal  into  a  basin,  and  add 
to  it  three  parts  of  nitric  acid  :  a  violent  action  ensues,  the 
acid  is  rapidly  decomposed,  copious  red  fumes  are  disengaged, 
and  the  temperature  rises.  The  tin  becomes  so  highly  oxy- 
dizcd  that  it  does  not  pass  into  a  state  of  solution,  but  forms 
a  white  powder,  in  which,  after  having  been  washed,  there 
are  no  traces  of  nitric  acid,  and  is,  therefore,  nearly  a  pure 
oxyde. 

AVhen  this  has  been  effected,  poirr  a  quantity  of  distilled 
water  on  the  mass,  stir  together,  and  let  stand  undisturbed, 
or  filter,  till  the  supernatant  fluid  becomes  clear.  Decant 
the  clear  fluid,  and  add  to  it  liquid  ammonia  in  excess :  if 
the  tin  contained  copper,  the  fluid  will  assume  a  blue  colour. 
To  assay  it  for  lead,  add  to  another  portion  of  the  clear  fluid 
a  few  grains  of  sulphate  of  soda,  dissolved  in  water,  which 
will  occasion  a  white  precipitate,  if  lead  be  present." 


On  ascertaining  Specijic  Gravities. 
It  is  almost  necessary,  to  ensure  correct  results,  that  our 
calico  printers  and  dyers  should  know  the  specific  gravity  of 
the  acids  they  purchase,  the  tin  liquors  they  use,  their  solu- 
tions of  salts,  and  of  the  menstruums  used  either  for  dying  or 
topical  application.  Master  workmen  from  England  and 
Scotland  are  in  the  habit  of  using  Tweedle's  hydrometers, 
which  in  this  country  are  not  easily  procured,  and  when 
found  are  very  costly.  The  French  hydrometers  of  Raume, 
are  imported  largely,  and  sold  cheap.  As  Dr.  Ures's  com- 
parative scale  will  enable  our  artists  to  use  Baume,  I  have 
added  that  scale  for  their  government. 


22  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

Dr.  Ures''s  Coinparative  Scale  between  Tweedle  and  Baume. 


18 



I  |B 


0  32 
-?A 


Tl  I  I  |B 


54 

56 

—  58 


T|  I 


jBI  T 

39 

104 

IOC 

108 
110 
112 
114 
116 
118 
120 
122 

124 
12G 


T 

140 

- 

142 

- 

144 

- 

146 

- 

148 

- 

150 

- 

152 

- 

154 

- 

156 

158 

- 

160 

r 

162 

— 





164 

- 

166 

- 

168 

r 

170 

— 

In  the  above  scale,  the  Ime  headed  T  gives  the  scale  of 
Tweedle's  hydrometer ;  and  the  opposite  line,  marked  B, 
that  of  Baume's.  The  numbers,  lines,  and  dots,  marked  in 
each  column,  indicate  the  relative  scale  of  the  two  ;  and  any 
person  using  Baume's,  in  place  of  Tweedle's,  can  ascertain 
the  specific  gravity  of  any  liquid  as  well  on  the  former  as  the 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  23 

latter,  particularly  so  with  Tweedle's  number  one,  15i°  Baume 
being  24'^  Tweedle.  As  Tweedle's  scale  increases,  the  dif. 
ference  between  the  two  increases,  but  any  given  specific 
gravity  can  be  ascertained  exactly  as  well  on  Baunic's  as  on 
Tweedle's,  by  an  accurate  attention  to  the  above  comparative 
scale. 


To  mix  Oil  of  Vitriol  and  Indigo. 

This  mixture  is  known  by  chymists  as  sulphate  of  indigo. 
In  England  it  is  called  Saxon  blue,  and  in  this  country  chymic, 
by  the  workmen. 

It  is  necessary  to  the  producing  of  a  good  solution,  that 
the  oil  of  vitriol  should  be  of  the  specific  gravity  of  66° 
Baume,  or  170°  Tweedle,  and  that  it  should  be  free  from  all 
foreign  matter.  American  oil  of  vitriol  has  generally  the 
proper  specific  gravity,  but  none  I  have  yet  tried  acts  well  in 
making  chjanic.  On  making  inquirj''  into  the  cause,  I  find 
that  in  li^ngland  the  makers  use  five  per  cent,  of  saltpetre, 
in  this  country  from  ten  to  twelve  per  cent.,  and  as  the  process 
is  the  same,  with  the  above  exceptioo,  I  am  inclined  to  infer 
that  a  portion  of  the  nitrous  fumes  becomes  condensed,  and 
mixes  with  the  oil  of  vitriol  in  the  state  of  nitric  acid.  I 
cannot  be  mistaken  in  asserting  that  American  oil  of  vitriol 
is  unfit  for  making  good  chymic,  as  will  be  proved  by  the 
following  facts.  I  mixed  twenty  pounds  of  indigo  with  eighty 
pounds  of  imported  vitriol.  This  chymic  was  sent  out  to 
more  than  twenty  consumers,  who  all  expressed  great  satis- 
faction of  its  quality.  I  then  mixed  ten  pounds  of  the  same 
indigo  with  forty  pounds  of  the  best  American  oil  of  vitriol, 
and  the  same  consumers  as  uniformly  condemned  it.  As 
none  of  them  knew  but  that  it  was  the  same  compound,  there 
could  have  been  no  prejudice  existing  either  in  favour  of  the 
one,  or  against  the  other. 

Chymic  should  be  made  in  glass  or  stone  ware  pots.  Com- 
mon earthern  ware  will  not  answer,  for  the  oil  of  vitriol  dis- 
solves the  glazing.  The  compound  may  be  made  either  in 
a  sand  heat,  or  in  warn*  water.  When  the  best  oil  of  vitriol 
is  procured,  the  next  thi'ng  necessary  is  to  obtain  such  indigo 
as  is  suitable  to  niix  with  it.  A  fine,  light,  compact,  purple 
or  violet  indigo,  either  of  Spanish  or  Bengal,  should  be  ob- 
tained.    The  suitabihty  of  the  indigo  is  best  known  by  its 


24  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

rising  moderately  as  the  mixing  progresses,  but  not  too  much, 
for  when  the  effervescence  is  too  strong,  a  portion  of  the 
indigo  will  be  decomposed,  and  when  very  rcpid,  the  whole  ; 
and  that  which  is  decomposed  will  not  produce  any  colour, 
nor  will  it  mix  with  either  cold,  or  hot  water,  for  the  indigo 
appears  to  be  completely  carbonized.  When  it  does  not  rise 
at  all,  (the  mixture  is  incomplete,  that  is,  the  indigo  is  not 
properly  in  solution,)  the  goods  dyed  with  it  will  be  uneven, 
and  the  colour  very  fugitive. 

It  requires  four  pounds  of  vitriol  to  one  of  indigo.  The 
mdigo  must  be  ground  fine  in  a  mill,  or  made  fine  by  pound- 
ing in  an  iron  mortar  and  sifting  through  a  sieve.  A  small 
teacup  full,  or  rather  less  of  indigo,  is  put  into  the  vitriol  at 
once,  and  stirred  until  well  mixed,  and  such  quantities  are 
added,  from  time  time,  until  all  the  indigo  is  in  solution.  It 
must  be  well  stirred  during  the  operation,  either  with  a  glass 
or  white  willow  rod.  It  has  Vow  to  be  covered  down,  and 
may  be  used  the  next  day,  after  which  it  should  be  kept  in 
ground  stopped  bottles,  in  which  it  will  keep  well  for  months. 

It  frequently  happens  that  dyers  will  use  more  than  four 
pounds  of  oil  of  vitriol  to  one  pound  of  indigo.  This  is 
worse  than  useless,  for  as  four  pounds  will  dissolve  one  pound 
of  indigo  as  completely  as  a  larger  portion  of  vitriol,  the  excess 
can  produce  no  other  effect  on  the  goods  than  free  vitriol 
will,  and  we  all  know  this  to  be  injurious  to  the  goods  dyed. 


On  the  choice  of  Vessels  for  colouring  scarlet  as  well  as  other 
delicate  colours,  and  of  Furnace  Baskets,  Reels,  etc. 

Scarlets  may  be  coloured  with  safety,  in  vessels  constructed 
either  of  brass,  copper,  or  block-tin.  When  done  in  brass  oi 
copper  vessels,  they  must  be  kept  very  clean,  and  the  liquor 
must  not  be  permitted  to  lie  in  the  furnace  afler  a  dav's  col- 
curing  is  finished.  When  a  furnace  is  made  of  block-tin,  it 
will  have  to  be  pretty  thick,  particularly  at  the  bottom,  and 
when  the  fire  is  drawn,  after  a  day's  colouring,  the  liquor  in 
the  furnace  will  have  to  be  cooled  dojivn  before  emptying,  the 
fire  having  been  drawn  sometin>e  previous,  otherwise  the  heat 
of  the  brick. work  will  so  soften  the  metal  that  the  bottom  will 
fall  out. 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  8i 

On  Dying  Furnaces,  etc. 

Before  giving  recipes  for  dying,  it  may  be  necessary  to 
give  directions  how  the  cloth  has  to  be  prepared  and  worked, 
and  the  fires  to  be  managed ;  for  the  goodness  of  colours 
depend  as  much  on  reguUiting  such  things  con^ectly,  as  they 
do  on  the  materials  used  to  produce  them. 


On  cleaning  cloth  for  dying,  and  the  ^cashing  of  wool  and 
cleaning  colours  after  dying. 

Many  of  the  minor  operations  in  dying,  which  those  who 
are  not  well  acquainted  with  the  business  are  apt  to  neglect, 
as  of  little  or  no  consequence,  have  an  important  bearing  on 
the  well-being  of  the  whole.  Such  are  the  operations  I  am 
now  about  to  describe,  and  I  am  sorry  to  have  occasion  to 
observe  that  very  many  of  our  manufacturers  totally  neglect 
cleansing  their  goods.  I  have  before  remarked,  which  can- 
not be  too  often  repeated,  that  cleansing  the  wool  and  cloth 
well  from  all  kinds  of  extraneous  matter  previous  to  dying, 
is  a  necessary  preliminary  to  the  production  of  good  colours; 
and  I  must  add,  that  to  clear  them  well  from  the  dye  afler- 
ward,  is  no  less  necessary  :  when  in  wool,  for  the  benefit 
of  carding,  spinning  and  weaving  ;  and  when  in  cloth,  for  the 
credit  of  the  colours. 

White  cloth  should  always  be  cleansed  well  with  fullers. 
eai'th  before  dying.  The  fullers-earth  must  be  thoroughly 
dried  before  using,  which  may  be  done  by  spreading  it  on 
sheets  in  the  sun,  or  by  means  of  a  stove-heat.  When  dry, 
place  it  in  a  tub,  and  throw  as  much  water  on  as  will  cover 
the  earth,  which  will  cause  the  whole  to  melt  into  a  pdlpy 
mass.  The  cloth  to  be  cleansed,  has  to  have  abouFas  much 
earth  thrown  on  the  face,  as  is  used  of  soap  in  fulling.  Il 
is  then  run  for  thirty  or  forty  minutes  in  the  stocks  or  w^asher, 
without  water,  and  washed  out  in  the  same  manner  as  will 
be  described  for  coloured  cloth.  I  must  remark  that  before 
throwing  earth  on  tlie  cloth,  it  should  be  moistened  as  much 
as  is  usual  for  fulling. 

When  wool  has  been  dyed,  the  light  colours  require  only 
to  be  well  washed  in  the  swilling-basket;  the  darker  colours, 
and  particularly  blue,  should  be  first  washed  as  directed  for 
the  light  one,  then  soaked  six  hours,  or  more,  in  milk-warm 


26  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

water,  with  as  much  oil  of  vitriol  in  it  as  will  give  to  the  liquor 
a  slight  sour  taste,  and  then  it  requires  a  second  washing. 

All  the  colours  given  to  cloth,  may  be  cleansed  by  stream- 
ing, or  beating  with  sticks,  from  a  bridge  over  a  running 
stream,  excepting  blue  and  black,  which  require  to  be  scoured 
in  a  fulling-mill.  Each  of  these  operations  I  shall  describe, 
for  unless  the  dyer  has  conveniences  suitable  to  perform  such 
operations,  or  is  ignorant  of  what  is  necessary  to  be  performed, 
he  cannot  expect  to  have  it  successfully  executed.  I  have 
been  much  surprised  that  in  works  written  on  the  subject  of 
dying,  the  process  for  cleaning  white  and  coloured  wool,  and 
cloth,  should  be  passed  over  as  operations  of  no  consequence, 
[t  proves,  what  every  practical  artist  must  be  well  aware  of, 
that  a  mere  theoretical  writer  on  the  arts  and  manufactures, 
however  splendid  may  be  his  literary  talent,  is  not  calculated 
to  throw  much  light  on  the  minutiae  of  such  subjects,  and  we 
all  know  that  it  is  a  combination  of  apparently  trifling  things 
that  constitutes  a  whole. 

The  apparatus  used  for  streaming,  is  a  bridge  six  feet  wide, 
and  at  least  ten  feet  long,  which  is  placed  across  a  rapid  stream, 
where  the  water  is  not  less  than  eighteen  inches  deep.  About 
sixteen  feet  below  the  bridge,  a  windlass  is  placed  parallel 
with  it,  and  elevated  about  sixteen  inches  above  its  level. 
At  one  end  of  the  windlass  is  fixed  a  pully,  three  inches 
thick,  and  one  foot  three  inches  diameter  ;  around  this,  holes 
are  bored  to  place  in  four  or  five  stout  handles,  which  project 
about  twelve  inches  fi'om  the  solid  pully,  and  a  boy  works 
the  windlass  by  means  of  these  handles.  The  cloth  intended 
to  be  cleaned,  is  carried  to  the  bridge  on  a  slatted  hand-bar- 
row, by  two  men.  The  hand-barrow  being  placed  on  the 
bridge,  the  workmen  throw  the  end  of  the  cloth  on  the 
stream,  and  beat  it  until  the  water  runs  clear;  they  then  take 
the  end  up,  and  fasten  on  some  large  twine,  by  means  of  a  run- 
ning noose,  which  twine  is  permanently  secured  at  the  other 
end  to  the  centre  of  the  windlass.  The  two  men  who  carried 
the  hand-barrow,  having  secured  the  twine  on  the  cloth,  throw 
the  end  to  which  it  has  been  fastened  on  the  water,  placing 
each  a  foot  on  the  list  next  to  him,  whilst  the  boy  strains 
that  part  between  the  windlass  and  the  bridge  so  as  to  keep  it 
fairly  on  the  stream  ;  the  two  men  are  prepared  each  with 
a  long  pole,  large  and  smooth  at  the  lower  end,  to  prevent 
their  damaging  the  cloth,  with  which  they  strike  it,  in  rather 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  27 

a  slanting  direction,  and  keep  so  beating  until  the  water  runs 
clear  from  it;  they  then  lift  up  their  feet  to  let  another  length 
upon  the  water,  and  the  boy  continues  to  wind  up,  always 
keeping  it  at  a  proper  strain  until  the  whole  is  off  the  hand- 
barrow.  The  clo'th  is  then  drawn  back  again,  and  the  pro- 
cess repeated,  if  found  necessary.  For  dark  colours,  this 
operation  is  repeated  two,  three,  and  even  four  times,  or  until 
the  colour  will  not  stain  white  paper.  Tlie  men  who  work 
it,  have  wooden  soles  on  their  shoes  an  inch  thick,  the  upper- 
leathers  being  fastened  with  tacks  ;  but  no  iron  or  any  other 
metal  is  allowed  on  the  soles.  They  have  also  leather 
coverings  to  tie  round  their  legs,  from  their  shoes  to  a  little 
above  their  knees,  to  protect  them  from  the  splashings  of  the 
water.  In  this  way  all  colours,  excepting  blue  and  black, 
are  cleaned,  and  so  well  are  they  done  that  the  darkest  brown, 
or  the  blackest  bottle-green,  will  not  stain  the  whitest  linen. 
In  towns  where  access  cannot  be  had  to  streams  of  water, 
they  fill  large  vessels,  called  backs,  with  water  from  pipes, 
and  beat  and  rinse  the  cloth  in  it ;  but  this  is  not  half  so 
effectual  as  the  plan  I  have  described. 

Blue  and  black  cloths  are  also  streamed  before  taken  to 
the  fulling-mill,  but  never  on  the  same  bridges  where  other 
colours  are'worked.  It  is  usual  to  have  as  many  bridges  as 
there  are  different  classes  of  colours ;  one  for  scarlets,  oranges 
and  buffs  ;  one  for  light  drabs,  one  for  dark  drabs  and  browns, 
one  for  greens,  one  for  blues,  and  another  for  blacks.  Blue 
and  black  cloths,  after  being  sti'eamed,  are  taken  to  the  fulling- 
mill  and  washed  under  the  hammers,  until  the  water  runs 
clear  from  them,  when  they  are  taken  out  of  the  stocks,  and 
hung  upon  long,  large  wooden  pegs  placed,  in  the  walls  of 
the  mill-house  for  the  purpose,  where  they  are  left  to  drain 
until  the  day  following.  They  are  then  taken  down,  spread 
open,  and  wet  fullers-earth  thrown  on  all  over  the  face  ;  tlie 
lists  are  now  thrown  together,  and  they  are  carefully  folded 
into  the  fulling-mill,  which  is  plugged  up,  the  hammers  let 
doAvn,  and  permitted  to  play  on  the  cloth,  without  water,  for 
half  an  hour,  or  forty  minutes.  The  cloth  is  then  handed 
out,  the  lists  pulled  square,  the  earth  spread  even  on  the 
cloth,  and  more  earth  added,  jf  necessary.  The  cloth  is 
then  put  again  into  the  stocks,  and  the  hammers  suffered  to 
play  upon  it  one  hour  ;  after  which,  a  small  quantity  of  water 
is  let  run  into  the  stocks,  not  more  than  would  pass  through 


28  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

a  large  wlieaten  straw,  for  half  an  hour,  in  order  that  the 
earth  may  be  diluted  slowly,  and  by  degrees.  After  that, 
the  cloth  is  once  more  handed  out,  the  hsts  pulled  square, 
then  again  put  into  the  stocks,  and  the  plug  pulled  out,  when 
a  full  stream  of  water  is  introduced  until  it  is  perfectly  clean. 
During  the  last  operation,  it  is  to  be  from  time  to  time  handed 
out,  in  order  to  prevent  its  taking  a  wrong  position  in  the 
stocks,  and  being  torn.  The  water  that  comes  out  of  the 
stocks,  shows  whether  the  cloth  is  clean,  for  that  which  runs 
out  towards  the  latter  part  of  the  operation,  should  be  equally 
as  clear  as  that  which  runs  in.  If  on  trying  the  cloth  you 
perceive  it  still  soils,  it  must  be  worked  with  earth  a  second 
time.  River  or  clear  rain  water  is  the  best  to  mix  with  the 
earth,  and  hard  water  for  washing  it  out. 

Scouring  of  cloth  has  of  late  years  been  performed  by  cylin- 
ders, and  I  am  informed  it  can  be  as  effectually  cleaned  in 
that  way  as  by  the  old  process.  If  so,  it  must  be  a  great 
improvement,  as  with  the  utmost  care  the  cloths  cleaned  in 
fallers  were  subject  to  more  or  less  damage,  whereas  there 
must  be  gross  negligence  to  allow  of  any  when  worked  with 
rollers. 


On  the  effect  wliicli  Water  has  on  Dying. 

Whenever  this  subject  has  been  mentioned  by  theoretical 
writers,  it  has  been  but  briefly  noticed,  as  a  subject  of  minor 
consequence,  and  their  opinions  have  been  uniformly  erro- 
neous. 

I  had  no-  conception  when  I  left  England,  that  water  could 
have  had  so  great  an  effect  in  the  production  of  colour,  as  I 
have  since  found  it  to  possess.  I  have  practised  the  art  in 
this  country  in  four  states,  and  have  found  that  given  propor- 
tions of  tlie  same  description  of  ingredients,  would  not  pro- 
duce the  same  colour  in  any  two ;  there  would  in  each  be  a 
considerable  variation  in  the  hue  and  body  of  the  colour.  I 
shall  endeavour  to  draw  such  deductions  from  tlic  facts  that 
have  been  developed  during  my  practice  in  both  countries, 
as  will  carry  conviction  to  every  unprejudiced  mind  ;  and  I 
hope  my  opinion  will  be  entitled  to  that  consideration  which 
the  importance  of  the  subject  demands. 

For  confirmation  of  the  fact,  that  waters  diffei-  so  materially 
as  to  cause  a  change  in  the  hue  and  body  of  colours,  I  will 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  29 

mention  two  circumstances  that  have  come  under  my  notice, 
one  of  recent  occurrence,  the  other  of  many  years  standing. 
The  latter  occurred  to  Mr.  John  Parisli,  an  eminent  dyer  in 
the  west  of  England.  He  commenced  dying  in  Gloucester- 
shire, and  could  not  succeed;  he  then  began  in  Wiltshire,  and 
for  tliirty  years  was  the  most  eminent  dyer  in  the  country. 
After  which  he  commenced  again  in  Gloucestershire,  and  in  a 
few  years  lost  all  he  had  made  in  Wiltshire,  from  an  inability 
to  make  good  colours.  Since  the  publication  of  my  former 
work,  an  experiment  has  been  tried,  that  I  think  puts  the 
opinion  of  the  effects  of  water  beyond  doubt.  A  dyer  from 
Gloucestershire,  being  determined  to  ascertain  the  diticrence 
in  dying  black  in  Wiltshire,  had  a  blacking  of  broadcloth  pre- 
pared  in  Gloucestershire,  and  the  ingredients  he  used  there 
weighed  out.  He  took  with  him  the  cloth  and  ingredients, 
and  made  a  dying  at  Trowbridge,  Wiltshire,  with  the  same 
ingredients  he  had  always  made  good  bright  colours  in  Glou- 
cestershire, but  the  colour  produced  in  Wiltshire  was  a  dead, 
flat,  brownish,  poor  black. 

An  opinion  has  been  handed  down  from  the  earliest  writers, 
and  repeated  by  every  one  to  the  present  day,  that  no  other 
'  than  soft  water  is  fit  to  be  used  in  dying.  They  say  that  "  if  the 
water  meant  !o  be  employed,  is  hard,  and  not  fit  for  washing, 
or  curdles  soap,  it  is  not  fit  for  dying  light  colours."  Although 
this  idea  has  been  taken  for  granted  by  every  author,  and 
has  been  as  generally  received  by  the  most  intelligent  dyers, 
yet  it  is  altogether  erroneous ;  and  I  will  venture  to  assert,  that 
spring-water  free  from  metallic  oxydes,  and  marine  salts,  is, 
however  hard,  better  calculated  for  dying,  than  any  large 
stream  having  a  distant  source,  however  soft. 

When  I  left  England,  I  was  impressed  with  the  prevailing 
notion  that  none  but  soft  water  could  be  used  for  dying.  It 
was  the  opinion  of  my  fatlier,  and  his  predecessors  in  the 
same  business,  who  have  been  eminent  dyers  for  more  than  a 
century  ;  and  this  in  direct  opposition  to  their  daily  practice  ; 
for  they  had  all  this  time  been  making  use  of  spring-water, 
that  was  very  hard,  would  curdle  soap,  and  was  unfit  for 
washing,  in  preference  to  water  from  a  fine  mill-stream,  that 
ran  between  the  dye-houses,  and  was  remarkably  soft.  And 
I  am  convinced  they  owed  their  celebrity  to  this  circum- 
stance alone.  .My  practice  in  America  has  convinced  me  of 
this  important-fact,  that  any  water,  with  the  exceptions  before 

3  * 


30  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  .     " '^ 

mentioned,  may  be  used  successfully  by  the  dyer,  with  one 
proviso — that  it  is  always  in  the  same  state.  Water  tliat  is 
variable  in  its  property,  can  never  be  used  with  any  prospect 
of  success :  it  is  on  this  account  that  springs  are  better  cal- 
culated for  the  purpose  than  mill-streams.- 

That  river-water  is  ever  varying,  is  too  obvious  to  be 
doubted.  After  "much  rain,  by  far  the  greater  part  will  be 
rain-water — in  a  dry  season,  nearly  the  whole  will  be  the 
product  of  springs,  and  the  shades  of  difference  will  vary 
almost  daily.  Can  it  be  expected  that  a  medium  ever  variable, 
should  be  calculated  to  produce  certain  and  invai'iable  results  ? 
The  dyer  who  uses  river-water  (excepting  in  certain  appli- 
cations which  will  hereafter  be  mentioned)  must,  therefore,  be 
subject  to  continual  disappointment,  and  probably  without  the 
least  suspicion  of  the  cause.  He  will  go  blundering  along  for 
years  in  the  dark,  sometimes  much  to  his  satisfaction,  at  other 
times  deceived  in  the  expected  results.  He  will  blame  the 
dye-wares ;  will  think  they  have  been  adulterated  by  the 
dealer,  or  will  charge  his  workmen  with  carelessness  and 
neglect ;  any  and  every  thing  will  be  suspected  rather  than 
the  true  cause. 

Let  every  American  dyer,  that  is  stationary,  contrive  some 
mode  of  obtaining  water  that  shall  always  be  in  the  same 
state,  and  I  will  venture  to  predict  they  will  soon  become  as 
eminent  as  those  of  any  other  country. 

In  scouring  wool,  the  water  used  in  the  furnace  should  be 
soft;  afterward,  for  washing,  hard  water  is  to  be  preferred. 
Rain  or  river  water  is  the  best  for  one  operation,  and  spring- 
water  for  the  other. 

In  blue  dying,  soft  water  should  be  used  in  the  vats.  This 
exception  is  not  on  account  of  the  colour,  it  is  merely  a  saving 
of  vegetable  ferments.  Hard  water  is  best  for  washing  wool 
after  it  has  been  coloured  ;  it  is  preferable  also  for  washing 
cloth  after  braying  and  fulling;  and  where  a  convenient  supply 
of  spring-water  can  be  obtained  at  an  easy  expense,  it  should 
be  led  into  convenient  receptacles,  from  whence  it  can  be 
drawn  when  wanted. 

There  is  no  colour  in  which  water  appears  to  have  so 
much  effect  as  in  black.  In  the  county  of  Gloucestershire, 
England,  where  the  dyers  are  celebrated  for  this  colour,  the 
water  holds  in  solution  a  considerable  quantity  of  limestone  ; 
and  the  same  recipes  used  there,  when  employed  in  the  ad. 


PREPAR^ORY  PROCESSES.  31 

joining  county  of  Wiltshire,  where  the  water  is  impresnated 
with  ugillaceous  matter,  will  not  produce  any  thing  like  the 
same  colour.  There  is  also  a  sensible  difference  in  the  colour, 
in  the  same  county,  from  any  given  recipe  when  used  in  dif- 
ferent  places,  and  even  in  various  parts  of  the  same  stream  ; 
for  the  effect  is  not  the  same  when  used  near  the  source  of 
a  river,  as  it  is  at  a  greater  distance  from  it.  I  brought 
three  different  recipes  with  me  from  England,  one  from  each 
of  the  three  best  black  dyers  in  the  county  of  Gloucester- 
shire, and  only  one  of  the  three  would  produce  a  tolerable 
colour  with  the  water  of  a  mill-stream  in  New-Jersey.  The 
principal  colouring  matter  in  black  is  obtained  from  logwood, 
which  appears  to  \vork  browner  in  any  other  than  limestone- 
water,  and  does  not  pi'oduce  so  rich  a  body. 

As  the  opinion  now  given,  has  never  to  my  knowledge 
been  noticed  by  any  writer  on  the  subject,  and  involves  con- 
sequences of  great  importance  to  the  art,  I  shall  attempt  to 
explain  the  principle  on  which  it  operates,  that  scientific  men, 
as  well  as  dyers,  may  form  an  opinion  on  the  subject.  I  do 
not  presume  to  suppose  my  theory  will  be  perfectly  correct ; 
but  if  it  shall  give  a  clue  to  enable  others  possessing  more 
science  to  pursue  the  subject,  and  elucidate  it  with  their  usual 
perspicuity,  it  will,  I  hope,  be  the  means  of  throwing  some 
additional  light  on  ttiis  intricate  and  mysterious  art. 

I  have  said  that  the  waters  in  the  county  of  Gloucestep^ 
shire,  where  they  are  more  celebrated  for  dying  black,  than 
in  any  other  part  of  England,  holds  carbonate  of  lime  in 
solution.  After  the  cloth  has  been  boiled  with  the  dying 
wares,  two  or  three  hours  for  black,  sulphate  of  iron  and 
sulphate  of  copper  are  added,  for  the  purpose  of  saddening 
the  colour.  As  soon  as  these  are  thrown  into  the  liquor, 
a  violent  effervescence  is  produced  :  the  carbonic  acid  gas 
is  separated  from  the  carbonate  of  lime,  by  the  lime  com- 
bining  with  the  acids  of  the  salts,  and  there  remains  in  the 
liquor  a  sulphate  of  lime,  an  oxyde  of  iron  and  copper,  a  sul- 
phate of  iron  and  a  sulphate  of  copper.  When  colours  are 
dyed  in  water  containina:  no  lime,  nor  any  otlier  alkaline 
earth,  the  salts  in  the  liquor  will  remain  in  solution  in  the  same 
compounds  as  before  they  were  added  to  it.  In  the  one  liquor 
then,  we  shall  have  in  solution,  sulphate  of  iron,  sulphate  of 
copper,  sulphate  of  lime,  oxyde  of  iron  and  copper ;  in  the 
other,  sulphate  of  iron, 'and  sulphate  of  copper. 


32  PREPARATORY   PR,OCESSES. 

Every  chymist  must  know  that  a  material  difference  in  tho 
colour  will  result  from  these  two  compounds.  The  sulphate  of 
lime  in  the  first,  will  raise  the  blue  of  tlie  logwood,  and  thereby 
increase  the  body  and  intensity  of  the  colour  on  the  goods 
dyed.  I  have  made  two  or  three  attempts  to  substitute  caustic, 
and  sub-carbonated  lime-water,  in  place  of  the  natural ;  hav- 
ing previously  inferred  that  a  similar  efTect  would  be  pro- 
duced.  I  found  it  to  raise  the  colour  of  the  logwood,  yet  for 
want  of  sufficient  experience  in  its  use  to  fix  a  proper  stand- 
ard, I  have  never  been  able,  successfully,  to  imitate  the  natural 
water.  I  have  discovered,  however,  that  when  too  much 
was  used,  it  had  an  injurious  effect,  making  the  logwood  tinc- 
ture of  a  pale  prussian  blue  colour. 

The  most  important  deduction  to  be  drawn  from  these  facts, 
is,  that  dyers  ouglit  never  to  expect  that  recipes  obtained 
from  othdr  countries,  or  from  distant  parts  of  their  own, 
should  produce  exactly  the  same  colours  when  used  by  them, 
as  they  have  with  others.  And  also,  that  for  dyers  to  become 
eminent,  they  must  be  stationary,  they  must  continue  to  prac- 
tice m  one  situation,  and  with  one  kind  of  water,  that  by  these 
means  alone,  can  they  be  expected  to  obtain  perfection  in  the 
art.  It  is,  nevertheless,  useful  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  practice  of  others,  and  more  particularly  with  the  science 
of  chymistry,  on  which  the  art  is  founded ;  but  they  must 
not  implicitly  rely  on  any  thing  but  their  own  practice. 

The  difference  in  the  effects  produced,  between  dying  from 
any  recipe  in  one  place  and  in  another,  may,  and  does  often 
arise  from  other  causes  beside  the  variableness  of  the  water  ; 
see  scouring  of  wool,  cloth,  &c. 


On  Cochineal  and  other  Dye-Stuffs. 

There  is  so  much  difference  in  the  quality  of  cochineal,  that 
it  is  impossible  to  describe  it  accurately,  and  nothing  but  prac- 
tice in  comparing  samples,  and  dying  with  it,  can  give  that 
critical  judgment  which  will  enable  the  dyer  to  make  choice 
of  those  that  are  the  best  suited  for  colouring.  The  French 
prefer  the  silver  gray ;  in  England  the  black  grain  is  pre- 
ferred. I  do  not  believe  there  is  any  essential  difference 
between  them.  In  choosing  cochineal,  the  dyer  should  be 
particular  in  having  a  large  solid  grain ;  a  small,  or  shelly 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  33 

grain,  indicates  an  inferior  article.  Cochineal,  being  costly, 
is  subject  to  great  adulterations ;  there  is  often  found  in  it  a 
gummy-looking  substance,  having  no  colour  ;  and  sometimes 
stones  are  found  in  it  as  large  as  the  fly.  Every  sample  before 
purchasing  should  be  examined  attentively,  and  all  suspicious 
substances  scpara.ted  from  the  real  fly  and  broken,  which  will 
disclose  the  imposition,  and  enable  the  consumer  to  judge  of 
the  adulterated  percentage.  It  is  usual,  when  different  sam- 
ples are  offered,  after  the  adulterations  are  ascertained,  to 
reduce  each  one  separately  into  a  fine  powder,  and  to  form  a 
judgment  of  their  relative  value  by  their  comparative  shades 
of  intensity. 

Cochineal  is  ground  in  a  steel-mill  kept  expressly  for  the 
purpose,  which  is  never  permitted  to  be  used  for  any  other 
articles. 

For  the  finest  scarlet,  intended  to  be  very  rich  in  colour 
and  body,  no  colouring  matter  should  be  used,  excepting 
cochineal  ;  but  in  general  colours  the  manufacturer  will  not 
go  to  that  expense,  therefore,  some  yellow  has  been  used  t8 
assist  the  body  of  the  colour :  such  as  young  fustic,  black- 
oak  bark,  and  turmeric. 

Turmeric  is  brought  from  tropical  countries ;  it  is  a  bulbous 
root,  and  when  broken  by  the  hammer,  should  be  of  a  fine 
golden  yellow.  If  the  roots  are  new,  and  have  not  been 
much  exposed,  the  outside  will  have  a  yellow  appearance ; 
but  if  old,  they  will  be  of  a  dirty  drab  ;  and  the  value  of  the 
drug  will  be  in  proportion  to  the  distance  this  abstraction  of 
colour  has  penetrated  the  root.  It  is  not  a  little  singular, 
that  the  root  most  esteemed- in  England  should  be  considered 
of  inferior  value  in  this  country. 

Lac  dye  has  been  generally  used  since  my  former  work 
was  published.  It  is  imported  from  the  East  Indies  in  square 
cakes,  and  can  be  used  at  less  than  Ijuif  the  price  of  cochineal. 
The  scarlet  obtained  from  the  lac  dye  is  equal  to  that  from 
cochineal ;  but  its  application  is  limited  to  reds  and  scarlet, 
for  it  cannot  be  used  to  advantage  in  either  pinks  or  crim- 
sons, as  it  will  not  blue  by  the  addition  of  alkalis. 

Bfazil,  or  Pernambuco  wood — it  was  formerly  the  sole 
property  of  the  crown,  and  every  piece  was  stamped  at  one 
end.  It  is  mostly  used  for  rose  colours,  crimsons,  and  for 
making  red  ink.  There  are  two  distinct  woods  called  bra- 
zil, one  known  as  king's  wood,  the  other  as  queen's  wood, 


34  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

the  latter  being  worth  three  or  four  times  as  much  as  the 
foi'mer. 

Madder  is  imported  from  Smyrna,  Holland,  and  France. 
The  Smyrna  is  considered  the  best,  the  Dutch  the  nexj;  best, 
and  the  French  the  worst.  The  finest  quality  of  French  I 
have  found  to  be  equal  to  the  best  quality  of  Dutch ;  but 
there  the  equality  ends,  for  the  second  grade  of  French  gives 
one  third  less  colour  than  the  second  grade  of  Dutch. 

I  am  informed  that  the  madder-root  grows  wild,  over  large 
districts  of  country,  in  South  America.  I  received  a  sample 
of  madder- roots,  some  four  years  since,  from  South  America, 
which  on  trial  proved  far  superior  to  any  European  madder. 
I  pounded  the  roots  in  a  mortar,  and  tried  it  in  comparison 
with  some  prime  Dutch  crop,  when  the  South  American  gave 
a  colour  far  exceeding  the  other. 

Dutch  madder,  when  ground,  is  separated  into  four  distinct 
grades,  the  crop,  the  umbro,  the  gamene,  and  the  mull,  and 
in  each  of  these  there  are  many  different  shades  of  quality. 
The  umbro  and  gamene  are  mostly  used  in  woollen  dying,  for 
all  common  colours,  and  for  the  blue  vats ;  the  crop  is  used 
for  fine  reds,  and  the  mull  for  dark  bottle-greens,  dark  browns, 
and  for  dirty  drabs. 

The  outside  of  casks  of  madder  are  always  more  or  less 
damaged  by  access  to  the  air  through  the  seams  between  the 
staves,  and  when  sold  in  Europe  an  allowance  is  made  for 
what  is  called  crust.  The  injury  a  cask  has  sustained,  may 
be  discovered  by  boring  in  from  the  bilge  to  the  centre  of 
the  cask,  and  drawing  the  borer  out  full  of  madder.  By 
examining  this,  an  estimate  is  fermed  of  the  average  loss. 
Supposing  a  cask  of  madder  of  three  feet  in  diameter  is  offered 
for  sale,  having  a  damaged  crust  of  two  inches,  the  consumer 
who  buys  it,  without  an  allowance,  will  be  a  loser  of  nearly 
twenty  per  cent. 

Most  of  the  blue  dyers  in  this  country,  are  under  an  im- 
pi'ession  that  madder,  by  giving  out  its  red  dye  to  the  liquor, 
produces  with  the  blue  a  rich  purple  colour  ;  but  in  this  they 
are  mistaken  ;  for  madder,  immediately  after  it  is  put  into  the 
vat,  ferments,  and  in  a  few  hours  loses  all  its  colour ;  so*that 
those  who  use  the  best  crop  madder  under  this  impression,  are 
contributing  to  the  expense  of  the  dye  without  any  equivalent. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  raise  madder  in  this  country, 
and  in  some  instances  successfully.     Those  who  use  large 


PREPARATORY   PRECESSES.  35 

quantities,  should  cultivate  it  for  their  own  use.  The  dis- 
covery  made  by  M.  D'Anibourncy,  tliat  the  fresh  roots  may  be 
used  with  as  much  advantage  as  that  which  has  been  dried  and 
powdered,  allowing  four  pounds  for  one,  would  make  the 
price  of  madder  come  very  low  to  those  who  would  raise 
their  own.  Before  using,  it  should  be  bruised  in  a  mill,  simi- 
lar  to  that  m  which  apples  are  ground. 

Mungeet  is  imported  from  the  eastern  continent,  in  bales. 
This  is  a  species  of  rubia,  and  of  course  belongs  to  the  class 
of  madders.  It  is  in  long  roots  of  the  size  of  a  pipe-stem, 
and  smaller.  The  colour  it  affords  is  similar  to  that  given 
by  madder,  excepting  it  being  rather  more  on  the  red.  This 
article  has  been  much  used  since  madder  has  risen  in  value, 
although  it  was  before  totally  neglected. 

In  making  choice  of  indigo,  the  dyer  should  attend  to  its 
specific  gravity,  and  to  its  fracture  and  colour.  That  which 
weighs  the  least  for  its  bulk,  is  smooth  in  the  fracture,  and 
appears  of  a  bright  violet,  purple,  or  bronze  hue,  is  the  best. 
The  qualities  in  this  drug  are  so  unlimited,  that  it  requires 
much  practical  skill  to  make. purchase  of  the  most  profitable 
article.  The  finest  qualities  of  indigo  generally  demand  a 
price  far  above  their  intrinsic  value  ;  and  dyers  usually  buy 
the  consumable  qualities,  from  which  they  obtain  more  colour, 
in  proportion  to  the  price,  than  from  the  finer  qualities. 

The  indigo  that  is  used  in  a  fermenting  vat,  should  be 
ground  to  a  fine  paste  in  water.  This  may  be  effected  either 
in  a  cast-iron  pot,  with  balls  turned  by  a  crank,  or  with  a 
mill,  such  as  is  used  to  grind  printers'  ink.  The  indigo  should 
be  previously  soaked,  by  putting  it  into  a  tub,  and  filling  up 
with  boiling  water,  so  as  to  cover  it.  When  this  has  been 
in  soak  for  three  or  four  days,  the  indigo  will  be  so  much 
softened  as  to  crumble  when  moved,  and  when  handled,  will 
break  by  the  slightest  pressure  of  the  fingers. 

The  ball-mill  I  need  not.  describe,  as  every  dyer  is  ac- 
quainted with  it ;  the  shape  of  the  mill  in  general  use  here 
is  very  bad  ;  the  bottom  where  the  balls  work,  should  swell, 
or  belly  out,  and  the  pot  should  narrow  a  little  towards  the 
top.  A  pot  o''  this  shape  would  never  permit  the  indigo  to 
be  thrown  out  y  the  balls,  when  in  motion — a  defect  very 
common  in  the  bell-shaped  pots  used  in  this  country.  An 
indigo  mill-pot,  where  more  than  one  vat  is  intended  to  be 
employed,  should  be  large  enough  to  grind  thirty  pounds  of 


86  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

indigo  at  one  time,  with  two  balls,  each  seventy  pounds 
weight;  these, ^if  kept  in  constant  motion,  will  completely 
grind  that  quantity  in  three  days.  The  printer's,  or  stone- 
mill,  must  have  an  iron  breaker,  through  which  the  indigo 
may  pass  before  it  entei  s  the  stones  ;  and  the  finer  it  is  broken 
by  this,  the  easier  and  better  it  will  grind. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  logwood,  the  Campeachy,  St. 
Domingo,  Honduras,  and  Jamaica,  known  by  the  names  of 
the  places  from  whence  they  are  exported.  The  Campeachy 
is  the  best,  St.  Domingo  the  next  best,  and  the  Honduras  and 
Jamaica  are  both  inferior  woods.  It  is  considered  that  three 
pounds  of  Campeachy  is  equal  to  three  and  a  half  of  St. 
Domingo,  and  to  four  of  Honduras  and  Jamaica.  Notwith- 
standing the  inferiority  of  Honduras  and  Jamaica,  they  are 
more  generally  bouglit  by  large  consumers  than  Campeachy, 
from  the  well-known  fact,  that  manufacturers  of  wood  in 
England,  always  adulter-ate  Campeachy  logwood  with  at  least 
half  of  Honduras  and  Jamaica. 

Camwood  is  never  used  on  woollens  in  England.  It  was 
once  used  there,  but  has  been  rejected,  because  it  injures  the 
quality  of  the  goods  more  than  twice  the  value  of  the  cost 
of  dying.     It  has  been  superseded  by  that  of  barwood. 

Redwood  is  but  little  employed  in  woollen  dying,  excepting  in 
some  peculiar  colours,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  recipes  for  dying. 
What  is  called  redwood  in  this  country,  must  be  a  difl^erent 
wood  from  that  which  bears  the  same  name  in  England  ;  for 
redwood  is  much  dearer  there  than  Camwood.  It  is  the  same 
as  is  here  called  hatchwood,  with  the  sap  taken  oiF. 

Peachwood  is  the  same  as  is  here  known  by  the  name  of 
nicaragua,  and  the  quality  depends  on  the  size  of  the  wood. 
It  is  rarely  used  on  AvooUens,  excepting  in  colours  having  a 
purple  hue. 

Red  Sanders  is  now  much  used  in  rich  browns.  It  not 
only  gives  a  beautiful  tint,  but  is  one  of  tlie  most  pernicuient 
of  the  vegetable  dyes. 

There  are  several  qualities  of  fustic,  the  Cuba  and  Tampico 
are  the  best. 

Weld  is  raised  in  France  and  England,  from  whence  small 
lots  are  occasionally  imported  into  this  country,  and  sold  at 
from  five  to  seven  cents  per  pound.  Since  my  former  work 
was  published,  this  plant  has  been  raised  by  some  of  our 
farmers,  but  in  general  has  not  been  well  cured. 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  37 

Di  Bancroft  has  taken  much  pains  to  prove  that  the  quer- 
citron,  or  black-oak  bark,  will  give  a  colour  equally  as  good 
as  the  weld  ;  but  English  dyers  are  convinced,  after  having 
tried  the  two,  that  the  weld  gives  a  more  beautiful,  and  a 
more  permanent  colour.  There  is  another  property  in  weld, 
which  gives  it  a  decided  advantage  over  the  black-oak  bark  ; 
it  imparts  a  softness  to  all  woollens  coloured  in  it,  which  no 
other  colouring  matter  does  in  the  same  degree. 

Dyer's  weed  grows  wild  on  commons,  and  around  the  bor- 
ders of  woodland  ;  it  has  much  thq,  appearance  of  heath,  and 
is  known  in  England  by  the  name  of  woodwax.  It  is  much 
used  in  drabs,  in  the  parts  of  England  in  which  it  grows. 

Green  ebony  is  imported  froui  the  Pacific.  It  is  a  green- 
coloured  wood,  and  is  much  used  in  greens,  olive-browns,  and 
many  other  colours  having  a  green  hue.  It  is  generally  em- 
ployed in  dying  green  silk. 

Young  fustic  is  the  sticks,  or  woody  part  of  the  Venice 
sumach,  and  is  sold  cheap  in  England.  The  sap  is  white, 
whilst  the  inside  is  of  a  rich  oi'ange  }^eirow.  It  is  used  in 
chips,  and  principally  employed  for  oranges,  auroras,  &c.  6zc. 

This  plant  grows  well  in  this  country,  and  is  to  be  found 
in  most  gardens  and  shrul)beries,  of  any  note.  Its  technical 
name  is  7'hus  costbius.  The  stem  and  trunk  of  the  shrub, 
and  the  root,  are  bought  and  employed  for  dying.  The  leaves 
and  stalk,  when  bruised,  have  an  aromatic  but  pungent  and 
acid  scent.  It  bears  a  flossy  blossom,  but  no  berries,  and  the 
leaves  are  round.  Any  dyer  having  an  acre  of  land  to  spare, 
might  raise  sufficient  for  his  own  use. 


On  Native-American  Dye  Drugs. 

There  are,  no  doubt,  a  great  numi)er  of  dying  drugs  in 
this  country,  which,  if  known,  might  become  valuable.  It 
is  much  to  be  regretted,  that  some  institution  does  not  exist 
in  this  country  to  test  and  bring  to  notice  its  native  colouring 
matters.  In  the  hands  of  a  practical  and  theoretical  dyer, 
many  valuable  discoveries  might  be  made  of  new  dyes  now 
lying  dormant.  Many  of  them  might  be  used  to  advantage 
by  the  dyers  of  this  country,  and  also  become  objects  of  some 
magnitude,  as  exports.  It  would  require  an  appropriation  of 
two  or  three  thousand  dollars  per  annum  to  effect  the  object, 

4 


38  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

and  I  should  apprehend  that  five  years  would  be  sufficient 
to  test  all  the  colouring  matters  of  the  United  States. 

I  am  now  acquainted  with  seven  native  dye  drugs :  the 
sumach,  swamp. maple  bark,  black-oak  bark,  golden  rod, 
alder  bark,  chestnut  bark,  and  butternut  bark. 

The  common  sumach,  so  abundant  in  this  country,  and 
which  is  so  generally  gathered  for  dying,  is  of  a  different 
species  from  that  which  is  imported.  It  is  the  rhus  glabrum. 
The  imported  is  the  rhus  coriaria.  The  latter  looks  much 
yellower  when  ground  than  the  former,  and  works  more  pow- 
erfully. It  grows  naturally  in  Syria,  Palestine,  Spain,  and 
Portugal,  and  is  found  occasioirally  in  this  country.  It  is 
diligently  cultivated  in  Spain  and  Portugal.  The  shoots  are 
cut  down  to  the  roots  every  year,  and  dried,  that  they  may 
be  ground  to  powder  in  a  mill. 


Sioamp-Maple  Bark. 
This  bark  is  used  in  drabs,  grays,  and  blacks.     It  may  be 
employed  in  almost  all  cases,  as  a  substitute  for  nutgalls. 
Four  pounds  of  swamp-maple  bark  will  give  full  as  much 
colour  as  one  pound  of  the  best  nutgalls. 


Black-Oak  Bark  and  Golden  Rod. 
These  are  used  for  yellow,  and  the  mode  of  dying  is  tha 
same  for  each.  The  use  of  the  black-oak  bark  is  well  known 
among  our  dyers,  but  the  golden  rod,  producing  a  better 
colour,  has  been  very  little  attended  to.  I  would  recom- 
mend our  dyers  to  gather  the  plant  when  at  maturity,  and  use 
it  in  a  dry  state.  

Alder  Bark. 
The  alder  is  found  abundantly  in  swampy  places:  it  is 
generally  of  small  growth,  and  has  a  motley  nut-brown  bark  ; 
the  sticks  are  cut  in  the  month  of  April,  or  the  beginning  of 
the  month  of  May,  when  the  sap  runs ;  the  bai'k  is  stripped 
off  as  soon  as  cut,  (which  is  easily  done  by  children)  and  is 
dried  in  the  shade,  when  it  is  fit  for  use.  The  poles  make 
good  bean-sticks,  or  excellent  firewood.     This  bark,  when 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  39 

the  colouring  matter  is  strong,  produces  a  brownish  drab 
with  alum,  and  a  light  forest  drab  when  only  a  small  quantity  is 
used.  When  employed  in  the  black  dye,  it  increases  the  body 
of  the  colour  even  more  than  sumach,  and  is  equally  durable. 


Chestnut  and  Butternut  Bark. 
These  barks  are  used  in  browns  and  blacks.  The  butter- 
nut is  mostly  employed  to  give  a  body  for  brown.  It  gives  a 
good  cinnamon-brown,  of  great  permanency,  without  any  mor- 
dant, and  could  be  used  to  much  advantage  as  a  preparation 
for  browns  of  almost  every  shade. 


White- Oak  Sawdust, 

The  sawdust  of  the  white-oak  gives  the  best  and  most 
permanent  body  to  blacks,  of  any  material  I  have  ever  used, 
and  is  not  so  apt  to  turn  brown,  as  sumach,  oak  bark,  or  any 
other  material  in  common  use.  It  requires  about  twelve 
pounds  to  twenty  yards  of  broadcloth,  weighing  twenty-four 
pounds,  or  half  the  weight  of  the  cloth.  The  purple,  given 
by  the  sawdust,  is  finer  than  that  which  is  obtained  from 
nutgalls,  and  is  highly  permanent. 

There  is  an  acid  in  wood,  called  the  pyroligneous,  which 
is  much  used,  when  combined  with  iron,  for  dying  and  j)rint- 
ing  of  black  on  cotton.  It  is  highly  probable,  that  when  oak 
or  other  sawdust  is  boiled,  this  acid  is  extracted,  and  oi)erates 
in  producing  the  colour,  in  addition  to  the  purple  obtained  as 
a  colouring  matter ;  for  it  is  well  known,  that  pyroligneate 
of  iron  is  the  best  mordant  used  in  black  dying. 


On  Dye -Stuffs,  not  indigenous,  that  could  be  raised  in  this 

country.. 
Indigo,  madder,  weld,  woad,  woodwax,  and  many  others, 
Miight  be  raised  to  advantage  in  this  country. 


On  the  manufacturing  of  Indigo. 
The  value  of  the  indigo  consumed  in  this  country,  canno* 
be  estimated  at  less  than  two  millions  of  dollars  per  annum. 
The  quantity  of  indigo  made  from  an  acre  of  the  plan< 


40  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

has  been  differently  estimated  by  almost  every  maker  from 
whom  I  have  obtained  information.  Taking  the  average  of 
the  different  estimates,  it  would  be  at  least  fifty  pounds  to  the 
acre.  It  will  appear  by  this  estimate,  that  it  would  require 
forty  thousand  acres  of  land  to  raise  a  supply  for  present  con- 
sumption  ;  and  as  the  demand  is  rapidly  increasing,  it  is  more 
than  probable,  that  in  ten  years,  it  will  require  the  product 
of  eighty  thousand  acres  to  raise  a  supply  for  home  con- 
sumption. 

There  are  four  points  to  be  attended  to  in  making  of  in 
digo,  which  require  much  judgment,  aided  by  practical  skill 
These  are,  the  time  of  cutting  the  plant,  the  degree  of  fer 
mentation  to  be  given  in  the  steeper,  the  degree  of  oxydize. 
ment  of  the  colouring  feculse,  and  the  extrication  of  foreign 
matter  from  the  pulp  after  the  indigo  is  made.  Three  of 
these  processes  being  purely  chymical,  it  is  not,  therefore, 
surprising,  that  ordinary  workmen  should  frequently  fail  in 
producing  a  good  article.  There  is  probably  more  loss  sus- 
tained by  our  southern  planters,  from  the  ignorance  of  the 
operators,  than  the  whole  value  of  the  article  now  sold. 

The  plant  should  be  cut  when  at  maturity,  as  it  will  then 
afford  a  fine  colour ;  but  if  cut  too  late,  a  portion  of  colour 
is  then  lost,  and  an  indigo  of  worse  quality  is  obtained.  Mr. 
Dalrymplc  informed  me,  that  the  plant  should  be  cut  when 
in  full  fiower,  after  the  weather  for  some  days  has  been  dry. 

Another  celebrated  maker  of  indigo,  asserts,  "  that  if  the 
plants  are  suffered  to  stand  till  thej^  run  into  flower,  the  leaves 
become  too  hard  and  dry,  and  the  indigo  obtained  from  them 
proves  less  in  quantity  and  less  beautiful.  The  due  point  of 
maturity  is  known  by  the  leaves  beginning  to  grow  less  sup- 
pic,  or  more  brittle." 

It  appears  that  the  makers  of  indigo  differ  as  to  the  time 
of  gathering  the  plant.  It  is  greatly  to  the  interest  of  our 
planters  that  they  should  ascertain,  by  direct  experiment,  the 
proper  time  of  gathering. 

When  the  plant  is  gathered,  it  has  to  undergo  a  process 
by  immersion  in  water,  for  the  purpose  of  extracting  its  col- 
ouring matter.  This  operation  is  performed  in  two  ways — 
by  fermenting  the  green  plant  in  a  steeper,  or  by  first  drying 
the  leaves  and  then  simmering  them  in  a  boiler.  The  latter 
process  is  now  pursued  by  some  of  the  best  makers  in  Ben- 
gal, and  das  apparently  an  advantage  over  the  old  process. 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  41 

When  the  green  plant  is  fermented  in  a  steeper,  and  tlio 
process  is  carried  a  Httle  too  far,  the  colouring  matter  will 
become  dark,  and  is  said  to  be  burnt — if  carried  a  slight 
degree  farther  it  will  be  black,  and  of  course  the  indigo  will 
be  very  much  injured.  Nine-tenths  of  the  indigo  made  in 
the  United  States,  partakes  more  or  less  of  this  character, 
and  has  evidently  been  injured  by  an  excessive  fermentation. 
To  observe  a  due  degree  of  fermentation  in  the  steeper,  is 
the  most  difficult  point  in  the  w'hole  process  of  making  indigo; 
for  should  the  fermentation  not  be  carried  far  enough,  a  con- 
siderable loss  of  colouring  matter  will  be  the  result.  It  is 
necessary,  therefore,  to  carry  it  on  to  a  certain  point,  and  to 
draw  it  off  the  instant  it  arrives  at  that  point ;  and  this  can 
be  known  only  by  a  skilful  observer  who  has  obtained  his 
knowledge  by  practice. 

There  is  no  chyniical  operation  so  difficult  to  describe  as 
.that  of  fermentation,  and  I  almost  despair  of  making  myself 
clearly  understood  by  practical  workmen  in  the  following 
description  of  the  steeping  process. 

Fermentation  has  been  divided  by  chymists  into  four  kinds, 
or  stages  :  the  panary,  vinous,  acetic,  and  putrefactive.  The 
fermentation  given  in  the  indigo  steeper  is  evidently  of  that 
kind  called  panary,  or  the  first  stage  of  fermentation.  It  is 
known  to  be  tiie  panary  by  the  large  quantity  of  carbonic 
gas  given  out,  which,  rising  to  the  surface,  floats  on  the  top, 
covered  with  a  thin  pellicle  of  the  liquid.  The  difficult  point 
for  the  operator  to  distinguish,  is  when  it  arrives  at  that  degree 
of  fermentation,  and  begins  to  assume  the  acetic.  The  same 
difficulty  occurs  with  the  woollen  blue  dyer,  and  the  losses  so 
frequently  complained  of,  by  the  vats  being  out  of  order, 
and  often  irrevocably  lost,  arise  from  the  fermentation  being 
permitted,  to  proceed  too  far. 

The  following  directions  are  given  as  a  guide  for  those  who 
may  be  engaged  in  the  making  of  indigo.  Whilst  the  plant 
is  in  steep,  draw  off  a  little  of  the  water,  and  with  a  pen 
dipped  in  it  make  a  few  strokes  on  w^hite  paper.  The  first 
will  probably  be  highly  coloured,  in  which  case  the  indigo  is 
not  sufficiently  fermented.  This  operation  is  to  be  repeated 
every  quarter  of  an  hour,  until  it  loses  its  colour,  when  it 
will  have  arrived  at  its  true  point  of  fermentation. 

Let  a  small  hole  be  made  in  the  steeper,  six  or  eiglit  inches 
from  the  bottom,  exclusive  of  the  opening  or  aperture,  for 

4* 


42  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

drawing  off  the  impregnated  water.  Let  this  hole  be  stopped 
with  a  plug,  yet  not  so  firmly  but  that  a  small  stream  may 
be  permitted  to  ooze  through  it ;  after  the  plants  have  been 
steeped  some  hours,  the  fluid,  oozing  out,  will  appear  beauti- 
fully green,  and  at  the  lower  edge  of  the  cistern,  from  whence 
it  drops  into  the  battery,  it  will  turn  of  a  copperish  colour. 
This  copperish  hue,  as  the  fermentation  continues,  will  gradu- 
ally ascend  upwards  to  the  plug,  and  when  that  circumstance 
is  perceived,  it  is  proper  to  stop  the  fermentation. 

During  the  progress  of  this  part  of  the  business,  particular 
attention  should  be  paid  to  the  smell  of  the  liquor  which 
weeps  from  the  aperture,  for  should  it  discover  any  sourness, 
it  will  be  necessary  to  let  the  fermenting  liquor  run  immedi- 
ately  into  the  battery,  and  lime-water  of  sufficient  strength 
must  be  added,  until  it  has  lost  its  sourness.  As  it  is  run- 
ning off  it  will  appear  green,  mixed  with  a  bright  yellow  or 
straw  colour,  but  in  the  battery  it  will  be  of  a  beautiful  green. . 

Another  maker  has  given  the  following  description  ofthefer 
menting  process. 

When  the  plant  is  gathered,  a  large  quantity  is  put  into  a 
vat,  and  some  wood  laid  above  to  prevent  its  rising  above 
the  water.  The  mass  begins  to  ferment  sooner  or  later, 
according  to  the  warmth  of  the  weather,  and  the  maturity 
of  the  plant — sometimes  in  six  or  eight  hours,  and  sometimes 
in  not  less  than  twenty.  The  liquor  grows  hot,  throws  up 
a  plentiful  froth,  thickens  by  degrees,  and  acquires  a  blue 
colour,  inclining  to  a  violet ;  at  this  time,  without  touching 
the  herb,  the  liquor  impregnated  with  the  tincture  is  let  out, 
by  cocks  in  the  bottom,  into  another  vat  placed  for  that  pur- 
pose, so  as  to  be  commanded  by  the  first. 

The  boiling  process,  for  extracting  the  colour  from  the 
dry  plant,  was  obtained  from  Mr.  Dalrymple,  who  had  for 
many  years  been  an  extensive  indigo  maker  in  Bengal.  He 
says  :  take  an  iron,  brass,  or  copper  boiler,  fill  it  within  three 
inches  of  the  top  with  the  plants,  press  down  with  stones,  and 
cover  the  plants  with  water.  The  liquor  must  be  heated, 
not  until  it  boils,  but  until  it  begins  to  blubber,  or  simmer. 
The  water,  by  this  time,  will  look  greenish,  then  draw  it  off 
into  a  shallow  vessel  or  vat,  and  boat  for  one  or  two  hours  to 
incorporate  oxygen  with  it.  On  taking  some  of  the  liquor 
in  a  white  saucer,  little  particles  will  appear  in  it  as  large  as 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  43 

a  pin's  head  and  smaller ;  then  stop  beating  and  throw  in  a 
little  lime-water,  upon  which  the  indigo  will  precipitate  to  the 
bottom,  and  tlic  su{)crnatant  water  will  look  like  brandy. 
The  water  has  now  to  bo  drained  off  to  a  level  with  the  top 
of  the  sediment ;  lay  the  sediment  on  a  cloth  to  drain,  and 
when  stiff  enough  put  it  into  moulds  to  dry. 

The  directions  given  by  Mr.  Dalrymple  are  evidently  im- 
perfect,  for  none  are  given  for  the  fermenting  process ;  and 
those  who  are  the  least  acquainted  with  the  manufacture  of 
indigo,  must  know  that  the  colouring  matter  cannot  be  devel- 
oped unless  the  liquor  has  previously  undergone  a  due  degree " 
of  fermentation. 

I  have  been  recently  informed,  that  many  first-rate  makers 
of  indigo  in  Bengal  condemn  the  process  of  obtaining  it  from 
the  dried  leaves,  on  the  plea  that  the  article  obtained  is  no 
better,  and  is  much  less  in  quantity.  If  any  of  our  planters 
should  be  disposed  to  try  the  dry  process,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  inform  them,  that  should  the  leaves-,  between  gather, 
ing  and  drying,  be  subject  to  fermentation,  only  a  small  portion 
of  colouring  matter  will  be  obtained,  and  that  the  loss  sus- 
tained will  be  as  to  the  degree  of  fermentation. 

Durmg  the  precipitation  of  the  colouring  feculae,  the  coarsest 
particles,  possessing  the  greatest  specific  gravity,  subside  first, 
constituting  the  lower  strata  of  the  pulp  ;  and  the  lighter  and 
finer  particles,  subsiding  last,  form  the  upper  part.  It  is 
necessary  that  indigo  makers  should  take  advantage  of  this 
circumstance,  by  first  taking  off  the  upper  layer,  and  moulding 
it  by  itself,  and  the  lower  part  by  itself.  By  this  means  they 
may  obtain  several  qualities  of  indigo  from  one  mass  of  pulp. 
It  appears  from  analysis  made  by  Bergman,  Quatremere, 
and  other  chymists,  that  indigo  of  good  quality  does  not  con- 
tain more  than  from  46  to  47  per  cent,  of  colouring  matter,  and 
that  the  very  best  samples  do  not  contain  more  than  48  per  cent. 
The  following  table  will  exhibit  an  analysis  of  indigo  of 
a  good  quality,  and  of  the  menstruua  in  which  the  impurities 
are  soluble : 

Mucilaginous  parts,  separable  by  water,  .  .  .12 
Resinous  parts,  soluble  in  alcohol,  ....  6 
Earthy  parts,  soluble  in  acetic  acid,  .  .  .  .22 
Oxyde  of  iron,  soluble  in  muriatic  acid,  .  .  .13 
Colouring  parts,  almost  pure,         .  .     .        .       .47 


44  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

There  cannot  be  a  doubt,  that  the  manufacturers  of  in- 
digo might  produce,  by  attending  to  the  analysis  made  by 
chymists,  an  article  far  superior  to  any  hitherto  offered  to 
the  public.  It  will  also  appear  certain,  when  experience 
shall  have  confirmed  the  value  of  a  superior  indigo,  that  a 
more  than  remunerating  price  could  be  obtained  for  a  purer 
article.  For  certain  purposes  a  pure  indigo  would  command 
double,  and  even  treble  prices,  provided  the  supply  were  not 
too  great  for  the  consumption.  This  being  the  case,  it  would  be 
well  for  our  manufacturers  to  pay  some  attention  to  the  sub- 
ject, and  endeavour,  by  some  easy,  unexpensive  process,  to 
bring  it  to  as  great  perfection  as  possible.  To  promote  this 
object,  I  offer  the  following  extracts  and  observations. 

Bergman  dissolved,  by  means  of  ebullition  in  water,  a 
ninth  part  of  the  we'ight  of  indigo. 

Quatremere  also  separated,  by  means  of  water,  the  parts 
which  are  soluble.  He  states  their  quantity  to  be  more  con- 
siderable, the  worse  the  quality  of  the  indigo  ;  and  that,  after 
this  operation,  the  residuum  has  acquired  the  qualities  of  tlje 
finest  indigo.  He,  therefore,  proposes  to  purify  what  is  of 
inferior  quality,  by  boiling  it  in  a  bag,  and  renewing  the  water 
till  it  ceases  to  acquire  colour. 

If  sulphuric  acid  be  diluted  with  water,  it  attacks  only  the 
earthy  matter  that  is  blended  with  the  indigo,  and  some  mu- 
cilaginous ingredients. 

Muriatic  acid,  digested  or  even  boiled  with  indigo,  takes  up 
the  earthy  part,  the  iron,  and  a  little  extractive  matter,  which 
colours  it  of  a  yellowish  brown,  but  without  attacking  in  any 
manner  the  blue  colour. 

It  is  evident  from  the  analysis,  that  to  make  indigo  far 
superior  to  any  now  brought  to  market,  requires  only  an  appli- 
cation  of  known  facts  to  the  art  of  making  it.  It  is  a  well 
ascertained  fact,  that  if  indigo  is  boiled  in  water  containing 
muriatic  acid,  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  impurities  contained 
in  the  best  samples,  would  be  extracted,  and  the  colouring 
matter  remaining  would  form  an  indigo  far  superior  to  the 
best  now  offered  for  sale. 

In  the  best  samples  of  the  indigo  of  this  country  there  is 
evidently  too  mucli  extractive  matter,  and  there  is  no  doubt 
that  this  defect  arises,  in  a  great  measure,  from  their  taking 
the  pulp  from  the  beater,  instead  of  their  running  it  into  a  vat 
of  clear  water,  aud  after  well  agitating  there,  letting  it  settle 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  45 

in  the  third  vat.  This  third  receiver  should  undoubtedly  be 
added  where  it  has  not  been  done  already.  Those  manu- 
facturers who  would  wish  to  avoid  the  expense  of  a  third 
receiver,  may  fill  up  the  beater  with  fresh  water,  after  drawing 
off  the  first  liquor,  and  perform  the  operation  in  the  same  vat. 

The  greatest  improvement  I  can  at  present  suggest,  would 
be  to  boil  the  pulp  taken  from  the  vat  by  steam  heat,  for 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  in  water  containing  as  much  mu- 
riatic acid  as  would  give  to  the  liquor  a  strong  acid  taste. 
This  operation  can  also  be  performed  by  placing  a  copper 
pipe  in  the  beater  from  any  steam  boiler. 

Muriatic  acid,  besides  the  oxyde  of  iron,  dissolves  the  car- 
bonate  of  lime,  red  resin,  and  alumina,  contained  in  the  indigo, 
and  by  being  mixed  with  water,  the  greater  portion  of  the  ex 
tractive  matter  would  be  taken  up  at  the  same  time.  It  would 
leave  the  indigo  twenty-five  per  cent,  better  than  any  Jiith. 
erto  made,  and  a  price  more  than  equivalent  to  the  loss  of 
weight  and  expense  would  be  readily  obtained  from  the  con- 
sumer. 

I  have  been  informed  by  some  South  Carolina  planters, 
that  owing  to  their  inability  to  proceed  with  the  fermentative 
operation  as  rapidly  as  the  crops  require,  a  portion  is  often 
left  on  the  fields  for  two  or  three  weeks  after  the  plants  have 
arrived  at  maturity.  This  circumstance  alone  is  sufficient 
to  blast  the  interest  of  the  planters.  This  difficulty  is  obvi- 
ated in  Bengal  by  their  planting  their  seed  in  successive 
periods,  so  that  one  crop  will  ripen  a  week  or  more  after 
the  other,  each  crop  being  sufficient  to  supply  one  set  of 
tanks  during  the  period  of  maturity. 

Dyers,  as  well  as  indigo  planters,  would  be  highly  benefitted 
by  attending  to  the  analysis  of  indigo.  Were  they,  when  a 
superior  colour  is  wanted,  to  boil  the  ground  indigo  in  a  bag 
cis  described  by  Quatremere,  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  the  desired  result  from  indigo  of  any  quality. 


On  raising  Madder. 

As  manufactures  progress,  many  agricultural  products  will 
be  brought  into  demand,  which,  from  the  variety  of  our  soil 
and  climate,  may  as  well  be  raised  in  this  country  as  in  any 
other;  and  it  is  the  interest  of  our  agriculturists  to  seize  every 


46  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

opportunity  of  cultivating  new  products,  as  soon  as  a  suffi- 
cient demand  is  created  to  warrant  the  attempt. 

Madder  has  become  an  article  of  great  consumption,  and 
the  demand  is  daily  increasing.  That  it  can  be  raised  in 
most  parts  of  North  America,  in  the  greatest  perfection,  has 
been  tested  by  experience.  Mrs.  Madison  made  a  report  to 
the  Philosophical  Society  of  Philadelphia,  many  years  since,  of 
madder  raised  under  her  direction,  and  the  report  was  accom- 
panied with  a  sample  of  cotton  dyed  of  an  adrianople  red,  that 
has  never  been  exceeded  in  colour  by  any  European  dyer. 
In  Kentucky,  madder  is  commonly  raised  in  gardens,  is  dried 
in  the  root,  and  sent  to  market  for  sale.  I  once  used  a  few 
pounds  of  those  roots,  and  the  colour  obtained  was  equal  to  that 
produced  from  the  second  quality  Dutch  crop. 

I  have  selected  information  relative  to  the  cultivation  of 
madder,  for  the  guidance  of  those  who  would  wish  to  make 
the  attempt. 

It  will  be  necessary  to  plough  the  land  deeply  for  madder, 
before  the  winter,  into  high  ridges,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
exposed  to  the  action  and  influence  of  the  frosts,  and  the 
atmosphere.  Early  in  the  spring  these  ridges  should  be  well 
harrowed  down  by  a  heavy,  long-tined  harrow,  and  then 
ploughed  again  in  the  contrary  direction  to  a  good  depth. 
And  when  after  this,  the  land  is  not  perfectly  clean  from 
weeds,  or  not  rendered  sutficiently  fine  and  mellow,  another 
ploughing  and  another  harrowing  should  be  given.  In  the 
last  operation  the  ground  should  always  be  left  in  as  level 
and  even  a  state  as  possible.  It  is  then  ready  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  plants.  The  sets  or  plants  may  then  be  obtained 
either  by  sowing  the  seeds  upon  a  bed  of  earth  which  is  rich, 
and  made  perfectly  fine  by  digging  and  raking  in  the  spring, 
and  then  lightly  covering  in,  or  from  offsets  or  suckers  from 
the  old  plants.  In  the  first  method,  on  the  plants  appearin* 
they  should  be  made  perfectly  clean  by  weeding,  and  set 
out  at  the  distance  of  three  inches  in  the  beds,  by  the  hoe. 
In  this  way,  by  keeping  the  ground  quite  clean  and  well 
stirred  about  the  plants,  they  will  be  ready  to  set  out  in  the 
second  autumn,  though  it  will  mostly  be  iDetter  to  defer  the 
business  until  spring.  It  requires  about  thirty  thousand  plants 
for  setting  an  acre  of  land.  The  most  suitable  time  for  taking 
the  sets  is  shown  by  the  plants  having  attained  the  height  of 
ten  or  twelve  inches  from  the  ground,  and  the  suckers  having 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  47 

thrown  out  fibrous  roots  from  their  bottoms.  This  may  be 
seen  by  drawing  up  a  few  of  the  plants,  and  usually  about  the 
latter  end  of  May  or  beginning  of  June.  Besides,  it  is  ne- 
cessary that  the  sets  have  formed  root-fibres  at  the  bottom, 
before  they  are  removed,  as  where  that  is  not  the  ease  they 
never  succeed  well.  The  land  being  previously  prepared  as 
directed,  and  the  plants  provided,  a  sufficient  number  of 
labourers  are  to  be  employed,  that  the  work  maybe  performed 
as  expeditiously  as  possible.  In  taking  off  the  sets,  much  care 
is  necessary  not  to  injure  them.  The  number  of  plants  that 
can  be  set  in  a  short  time,  should  be  taken  up  at  once. 
They  should  be  prepared  by  having  a  third  part  of  their 
tops  cut  off;  a  sort  of  thin  batter  should  be  made  by  mixing 
good  vegetable  mould-  and  water  well  together,  into  which 
the  roots  of  the  sets  should  be  well  dipped  before  they  are 
placed  into  the  earth,  as  by  this  means  the  necessity  of  water- 
ing the  plants  afterward  is  prevented.  This  work  is  executed 
by  a  person  before  the  planting  commences.  Two  others 
are  employed  afterward  in  distributing  tlie  plants  so  as  to  be 
convenient  for  putting  them  into  the  ground. 

These  sets,  after  the  land  has  been  formed  into  beds,  five 
feet  in  breadth,  with  two  feet  between  each,  for  intervals,  are 
put  in  by  means  of  a  line  and  dibble,  beginning  at  a  dis- 
tance of  six  inches  from  tlie  outside,  and  setting  a  row  of 
plants  a  distance  of  five,  six,  or  more  inches  from  each  other; 
then  removing  the  line  two  feet  further  on  them,  and  putting 
in  another  row,  and  so  on,  until  the  bed  is  finished.  In  this 
way  each  bed  contains  three  rows  of  plants,  at  two  feet 
distance  each. 

As  some  of  the  plants  are  liable  to  die  soon  after  the  work 
has  been  performed,  it  is  necessary,  in  the  course  of  two  or 
three  wed<s,  to  look  over  the  ground  and  put  fresh  vigorous 
plants  in  the  places  where  the  others  have  been  destroyed. 

It  is  of  the  greatest  consequence  that  the  plants  be  kept 
perfectly  clean,  and  the  mould  occasionally  stirred  about  the 
roots  of  the  plants. 

Manufacturers,  by  using  the  green  roots  as  recommended 
by  D'Ambourney,  would  make  a  saving  of  full  one-half  of 
the  expense  now  incurred,  by  raising  their  own  madder.  It 
would  require  four  pounds  of  green,  in  place  of  one  of  dry 
madder. 


48  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

On  the  Weld  Plant  as  a  dye,  and  its  cultivation. 

The  weld  plant  is  so  valuable  a  dye-stuff  for  woollens,  for 
drabs,  browns,  olives,  yellows,  greens,  &c.,  that  I  think  it 
necessary  to  call  the  attention  of  our  dyers  to  its  application, 
and  of  our  farmers  to  its  cultivation.  Weld,  or  would,  resida 
leuteola  of  Linnaeus,  is  a  plant  used  by  dyers  to  give  a  yellow 
colour.  Some  parcels  of  this  plant  have  been  imported  ;  but 
owing  to  its  excessive  bulkiness,  it  never  can  be  brought  from 
Europe  at  a  price  that  will  enable  our  dyers  to  bring  it  into 
g«neral  use.  As  the  plant,  however,  can  be  raised  here 
much  better  than  in  England,  the  summer  being  warmer  and 
drier,  it  may  be  cultivated  and  sold  at  as  low  a  price  as  in  any 
other  country  ;  there  is,  therefore,  no  impediment  to  its  being 
generally  adopted  by  American  artists. 

That  nothing  may  be  wanting  to  facilitate  the  use  and  cul- 
tivation of  this  valuable  dye-drug,  I  shall  point  out  to  our 
dyers  its  most  prominent  properties,  and  to  our  agi'iculturalists 
the  mode  of  cultivating  it. 

The  colour  obtained  from  weld  is  more  permanent,  with 
the  common  mordants  alum  and  tarter,  than  any  other  yellow 
dye.  The  colour  it  gives  is  also  more  delicate  than  any  other  ; 
but  its  chief  superiority  consists  in  the  property  it  possesses,  ixi 
a  very  superior  degree,  of  imparting  a  great  degree  of  softness 
to  the  woollens  dyed  with  it.  Our  manufacturers  cannot  but 
be  aware  of  the  advantage  of  using  such  dyes  as  will  give 
a  softness  to  their  wool,  in  preference  to  others,  which  from 
astringency  have  the  effect  of  giving  a  harsh  feeling  to  their 
fabrics.  So  much  are  European  wool  dyers  impressed  with 
the  superiority  of  weld  over  any  other  yellow  dye,  that  they 
use  it  in  all  furnace  colours  that  will  admit  of  it,  though  it 
costs  them  more  than  double  the  price  of  other  dyes,,  for  which 
it  is  substituted.  The  drabs  dyed  with  weld  are  more  per- 
manent, and  the  colours  more  delicate  than  from  any  other 
yellow.  The  olive-browns  and  greens,  and  the  bronze  greens, 
are  in  every  way  superior,  as  it  respects  their  brilliancy  and 
permanency.  When  used  for  wool  colours,  the  wool  is  found 
to  work  softer  and  better  in  every  subsequent  operation. 

Weld  is  greatly  preferred  to  all  other  substances  in  giving 
the  lively  green  lemon  yellow.  It  is  much  used  by  the  Lon- 
don and  French  paper  stainers.  Diffuse  any  quantity  of  fine 
whiting  in  boiling  water,  add  to  it  one  ounce  of  alum  foi 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  49 

every  pound  of  whiting,  and  stir  these  materials  well  together 
until  the  gas  is  disengaged.  Boil  in  a  separate  vessel  some 
weld,  with  water  just  sufficient  to  cover  it,  for  fiflcen  minutes, 
filter  the  yellow  decoction,  and  mix  it  with  the  whiting  and 
alumine.     The  precipitate  is  used  for  staining  of  paper. 

The  soils  most  suitable  for  raising  of  weld  are  of  the  fer- 
tile mellow  kinds,  whether  of  the  loamy,  sandy,  or  gravelly 
sorts ;  but  it  may  be  grown  with  success  on  such  as  are  of  a 
poorer  quality.  In  fact,  a  light  quick  soil,  approaching  to 
the  sandy,  is  the  best ;  for  the  smaller  tlie  plants,  provided 
hey  blossom  well,  the  better.  A  soil  rather  moist,  but  mel- 
-ow,  seems  the  most  suitable  and  proper  for  it. 

It  is  necessary,  in  the  preparation  of  the  ground,  that  there 
should  be  a  tolerable  degree  of  fineness  in  the  mould  of  the 
soil,  which  may  be  effected  by  repeated  ploughings  given  in 
the  more  early  spring  months,  and  suitable  harrowing.  The 
feurface  of  the  land  in  the  seed-furrow  should  be  left  as  level 
ns  possible,  that  the  seed  may  be  dispersed  more  evenly  over 
it,  and  with  greater  regularity  and  exactness. 

From  two  quarts  to  a  gallon,  is  sufficient  seed  for  an  acre, 
according  to  circumstances,  when  sown  alone  ;  but  when 
sown  with  other  crops,  a  little  more  may  be  required,  which 
should  be  blended  with  a  little  sand,  or  some  such  material, 
at  the  time  of  sowing  it,  to  render  it  capable  of  being  sown 
more  evenly.  It  may  be  sown  in  tlie  sjiring,  or  in  the  latter 
end  of  summer,  about  the  beginning  of  August. 

In  Norfolk,  England,  it  is  sown  with  other  crops,  such  as 
barley,  buck-wheat,  beans,  peas,  clover,  or  grass  seeds — it  is 
usually  put  in  after  them ;  in  some  cases  immediately,  in 
others  not  until  some  time  has  elapsed. 

The  plants  do  not  usually  run  to  stalk  until  the  second 
year;  it  is  ripe  by  the  first  of  June.  After  they  have  blos- 
somed, just  as  the  last  begin  to  fall  otf,  the  plants  are  pulled  ; 
they  may  be  set  up  in  small  handfuls  to  dry  hi  the  field.  That 
which  is  left  for  seed  should  be  pulled  as  soon  as  the  seeds 
are  ripe,  set  up  to  dry,  and  then  beat  out  for  use ;  for  if  the 
plants  are  left  too  long  the  seeds  will  scatter. 


Woad. 


This  plant  has  been  raised  in  this  country  for  some  years 
and  is  sold  by  several  agriculturalists  in  the  neigiibourhood  o 


oO  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

Hartford,  Connecticut.     The  principle  error  committed  by 
the  makers,  is  in  packing  the  woad  too  moist  after  couching. 


Woodwax. 
In  some  parts  of  England,  this  plant  grows  wild  on  com- 
mons,  and  around  the  borders  of  woodland  ;  it  has  much  the 
appearance  of  heath,  and  is  known  by  the  name  of  woodwax, 
or  dyers'  broom,  a  species  of  erica.  This  plant  is  used  alto- 
gether in  drab  dying. 


Siveet  Balm. 

The  flowers  of  this  plant  (monarda  dydima)  will  colour  a 
pink  nearly  equal  to  saff-flower,  and  quite  as  permanent. 
It  should  by  all  means  be  brought  into  use.  A  small  plot 
of  ground  would  produce  a  large  quantity  of  flowers,  as  it 
continues  to  blossom  for  two  or  three  moi^ths. 


To  prepare  Woollen  Goods  for  the  Furnace. 
In  the  first  place  the  cloth  has  to  be  well  cleansed  from  all 
soap  and  grease,  by  scouring  it  with  fullers-earth,  and  wash- 
ing the  earth  out  quite  clean  with  water.  It  should  be  under- 
stood by  the  workmen,  that  soap  lefl;  in  goods  to  be  dyed,  is 
as  bad  as  grease.  Cloth,  yarn,  or  wool,  should  always  be 
moist  quite  through  before  entering  the  dye-furnace. 


On  Black  Dying 
Black  is  a  compound  colour,  made  from  dye-stuffs  contain, 
ing  a  purple  tint,  and  such  as  give  some  drab  or  yellow. 
Nutgalls,  sumach,  logwood,  and  several  other  dyes,  give  a 
purple ;  and  fustic,  or  quercitron  bark,  'gives  the  yellow.  Such 
dye-stuffs  will  not  give  a  black  colour  without  the  aid  of 
metallic  oxydes.  Copperas,  blue  vitriol,  and  verdigris,  are 
the  salts  generally  used,  from  which  the  metallic  oxydes  are 
obtained.  The  intensity  of  a  black  colour  v/ill,  in  all  cases, 
depend  on  the  perfection  of  the  oxyde.  If,  when  copperas  is 
used,  the  iron  is  oxydizcd  to  its  maximum,  it  then  produces  a 
black  of  the  utmost  degree  of  intensity ;  but  if,  from  any 
defect  in  the  process,  the  metallic  substance  used  should  be 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  51 

oxydlzed  below  that  point,  the  black  will  be  defective,  and 
thi'  deficiency  will  increase  as  the  oxydizoment  diminishes. 
The  same  effect  is  produced  by  all  the  metallic  salts,  in  what- 
ever state  they  may  be  used,  whether  as  acetates,  sulphates, 
or  nitrates.  It  is  for  the  purpose  of  oxydizing  the  metals  of 
the  salts  used,  that  in  woollen  dying  the  cloths  are  exposed 
frequently  during  the  time  of  saddening,  and  that  in  cotton 
dying  the  goods  are  dried  and  exposed  to  the  atmosphere 
for  several  days. 

A  new  mode  of  bringing  up  the  oxyde  of  the  metal  of 
metallic  salts  used  for  black  dying,  has  lately  been  discovered, 
which  is  vei-y  valuable  to  dyers  in  general,  and  particularly 
so  to  the  cotton  dyer. 

This  effect  is  produced  by  dissolving  two  pounds  of  chloride 
of  lime  (bleaching  powder)  in  four  gallons  of  water ;  to  be 
well  stirred,  then  left  to  settle,  and  pouring  the  clear  liquor 
into  one  hogshead  of  water.  By  running  any  goods,  previ- 
ously saddened,  through  this  liquor  for  a  few  minutes,  the 
metal  immediately  becomes  oxydized  to  its  maximum,  and 
the  black  produced  is  more  intense  than  those  by  the  com- 
mon process. 

This  process  will  be  found  highly  advantageous  to  the 
black  cotton  dyer,  as  it  will  save  him  much  time  and  trouble. 

It  is  further  applicable  in  all  colours  wherein  metallic  salts 
are  employed.  In  prussian  blue  colours,  its  effect  is  strikingly 
beneficial. 

This  fact  was  discovered,  and  made  known  to  me,  by 
Messrs.  William  Adams  &  Co.  of  this  city,  and  I  consider  it 
as  a  very  important  discovery. 

As  a  guide  to  black  dyers,  I  consider  it  necessary  to  inform 
them  of  the  result  of  a  series  of  experiments,  by  which  some 
French  chymists  ascertained  the  quantity  of  copperas  neces- 
sary  to  saturate  a  given  quantity  of  the  principal  dye-stuffs 
used  by  black  dyers.  It  will  be  necessary  to  inform  them, 
that  when  more  than  sufficient  to  saturate  is  used,  the  colour 
becomes  brown,  or  what  dyers  would  call  russet. 

To  saturate  ten  pounds  of  nutgalls,  requires  two  pounds 
of  copperas.  Ten  pounds  of  sumach  requires  one  pound  five 
ounces;  and  ten  pounds  of  logwood,  one  pound  five  ounces. 

There  are  four  different  and  distinct  colours  in  black  :  the 
blue,  the  yellow,  the  red,  and  the  jet  black.  It  will  be  neces- 
sary  to  keep  this  distinction  in  view  in  reading  what  follows. 


52  RECIPES. 

as  well  as  in  the  practice  of  the  dyer ;  for  as  it  includes  all 
the  primary  variations  that  can  take  place  in  the  colour,  it 
will  have  a  tendency  to  lead  the  mind  to  the  cause  of  the 
difference,  and  thereby  remove  that  confusion  which  too 
many  artists  in  this  line  are  labouring  under.  The  terms  I 
have  used  to  distinguish  the  different  shades  of  this  colour 
require  no  explanation — the  blue,  red,  and  yellow,  being  the 
dyer's  primitive  colours ;  every  one  must  know,  that  when 
either  of  these  predominate,  the  colour  assumes  that  name. 
A  jet  black  is  that  happy  mixture  of  the  three,  in  which 
neither  of  them  is  in  visible  excess. 


To  dye  a  hlue-black  on  sixteen,  jiounds  of  cloth  or  yarn. 

For  boiling,  use  six  pounds  of  logwood,  fourteen  ounces  of 
sumach,  and  two  and  a  half  ounces  of  pearlash. 

Let  the  contents  of  the  furnace  be  well  stirred  with  a  rake 
after  the  dye-wares  have  boiled  two  hours.  Cool  down  the 
liquor  to  one  hundred  and  eighty  degrees  or  thereabouts — 
then  enter  the  cloth  rapidly,  and  give  it  a  few  turns  over  the 
reel  as  quick  as  possible,  having  it  kept  open  all  the  time  by 
the  broadsman.  The  fire  is  then  to  be  made  up  as  strong 
as  possible,  and  no  time  lost  in  bringing  the  liquor  to  a  boil. 
After  it  boils  out  fairly,  the  time  must  be  taken,  and  the  boil- 
ing  kept  up  for  two  hours,  the  workman  keeping  the  cloth 
open  all  the  time.  When  it  has  boiled  two  hours,  the  furnace 
must  be  filled  up  with  cold  water,  the  door  tlirown  open,  and 
the  cloth  taken  oiit  and  well  cooled.  Whilst  this  is  doing, 
the  fire  is  made  up,  the  door  closed,  and  the  liquor  brouglit 
to  boil.  The  materials  to  be  used  at  this  time  are,  one  and  a 
half  pounds  of  copperas,  and  f^ur  and  a  half  oimces  of  blue 
vitriol,  (not  more  than  five  and  a  half  ounces.) 

After  the  liquor,  with  these  ingredients,  has  boiled  five  oi 
six  minutes,  the  door  is  to  be  opened,  the  liquor  cooled  down 
with  water  as  before,  and  after  well  stirring  the  liquor  the 
goods  are  to  be  entered  rapidly.  The  reel  should  move 
briskly  for  the  first  fifteen  minutes,  one  person  being  em- 
])loycd  to  push  the  cloth  under  the  liquor  on  one  side,  and 
another  on  the  other  side  to  keep  it  open  ;  the  reel  to  be  kept 
turning,  and  the  cloth  kept  open  during  the  whole  of  the 
operation.     In  order  to  avoid  repetition,  I  must,  once  for  all, 


RECIPES.  53 

inform  the  dyer,  that  in  all  piece  dying,  the  goods  are  to  be 
kept  well  open  by  the  broadsman,  and  the  reel  well  turned 
from  the  time  the  cloth  is  entered,  until  it  is  taken  out ;  for 
if  this  be  neglected,  tlic  colour  will  ever  be  liable  to  be 
spotted  and  uneven.  Immediately  after  the  cloth  is  entered, 
the  fire  is  to  be  made  up,  the  furnace-door  shut,  and  the  liquor 
made  to  boil  as  quick  as  possible.  Tliis  is  understood  to  be 
the  first  saddening,  and  the  boiling  must  not  be  so  strong 
us  in  the  first  process.  When  tiie  clotli  has  been  in  two 
hours,  and  has  boiled  gently  at  least  one  hour  out  of  the  two, 
take  it  out,  having  previously  cooled  the  liquor  down  with 
water ;  air  the  cloth  as  before,  until  nearly  cold,  and  bring 
the  furnace  to  boil,  as  directed  for  the  last  saddening.  The 
material  to  be  added  at  this  time  is  only  nine  ounces  of  cop- 
peras, which  has  to  be  proceeded  with  as  before,  with  this 
difference,  that  when  the  saddening  lias  been  continued  one 
liour,  a  pattern  is  taken  off  the  lacing  and  scoured,  when  the 
colour  is  matched  witli  a  good  black  pattern.  If  the  colour 
is  not  full  enough,  the  saddening  must  be  continued  longer. 
If  the  colour  is  wanted  of  a  green  hue,  add  about  aii  ounce 
of  verdigris  in  the  last  saddening.  If  the  body  of  the  colour 
is  too  strong,  lessen  the  quantity  of  copperas,  and  if  too  weak 
after  going  its  time  of  two  hours,  add  more.  In  matching  of 
colours,  it  must  be  understood,  that  both  patterns  must  be 
either  dry  or  wet,  or  there  will  be  many  shades  of  difference 
in  the  colour,  though  they  might  appear  to  match  before. 

This  recipe  would  produce  a  better  blue-black  by  not  boiling 
between  the  first  and  second,  and  tlie  second  and  third  process ; 
but  if  verdigris  is  added  in  the  saddenings,  the  liquor  will 
have  to  boil  before  heaving  in  the  cloth.  When  verdigris  is 
intended  to  be  used,  it  should  be  weighed  off"  and  ])ut  in  soak 
in  boilhig  water,  a  day  or  two  before  it  is  wanted. 

The  workmanship,  which  I  have  described  for  blacking 
with  this  reci|)e,  must  be  observed  for  all  others. 

Many  dvers  who  come  from  England  and  other  countries, 
who  understand  but  little  of  black  dying,  will  prescribe  a  much 
greater  portion  of  ingredients  to  produce  the  colour  on  the 
same  quantity  of  goods  ;  but  this  must  result  from  ignorance, 
it  having  been  jjroved,  that  too  great  a  body  of  colouring 
matter  injures  a  black,%y  making  the  shade  brown,  russetly, 
and  too  heavy.  To  produce  a  perfect  colour,  the  copperas 
and  colouring  matter  require  to  be  used  in  given  proportions. 

5* 


54  RECIPES. 

I  have  before  given  the  proportions  of  copperas  necessary  to 
saturate  logwood,  sumach,  and  nutgalls. 

When  a  blacking  is  finished,  the  cloth  should  be  about 
half  cooled,  then  separated  into  pieces,  and  each  one  folded 
up  and  placed  across  a  wooden  horse,  where  it  should  lie 
until  the  following  morning  to  drain,  cool,  and  give  time  for 
the  iron  to  oxydize  to  its  maximum,  before  it  is  \vashed  ; 
for  if  cleansed  immediately  after  it  comes  from  the  dye,  the 
colour  will  not  be  so  good  as  when  it  has  laid  twelve  or  six- 
teen  hours.  The  sun  should  not  be  permitted  to  shine  on  the 
cloth  for  any  length  of  time  between  the  dying  and  washing. 
If  there  be  no  shed  to  put  it  under,  it  should  be  covered  with 
sheets  made  from  bagging. 

I  have  divided  this  colour  into  blue,  yellow,  and  jet  blacks, 
and  there  are  innumerable  shades  of  each.  To  produce 
these  at  the  will  of  the  workman,  can  only  be  acquired  by 
long  practice.  I  shall  give  recipes  for  each  of  these,  and 
the  dyer  who  has  a  knowledge  of  the  business,  can  vary  the 
body  and  hue  at  his  pleasure. 


Another  black  for  twenty  pounds  of  looollen. 

Six  pounds  of  logwood,  one  and  a  half  pounds  of  sumach, 
twelve  ounces  of  fustic,  and  three  ounces  of  pearlash. 

The  wares  to  boil  two  hours,  run  up,  stir  well,  throw  in 
the  cloth,  and  boil  it  three  hours.  Let  the  furnace  now  be 
run  up,  the  cloth  taken  out  and  cooled  ;  then  add  the  follow- 
ing ingredients  to  the  liquor,  only  dissolving  them  previously 
in  a  bucket  without  boiling :  three  pounds  of  copperas,  and 
two  and  a  half  ounces  of  blue  vitriol. 

When  the  cloth  has  been  cooled,  stir  the  liquor  well,  throw 
in  the  cloth,  and  boil  gently  for  four  hours ;  then  run  up, 
heave  out,  throw  it  until  half  cold,  and  proceed  as  directed 
for  the  last  blacking  when  finished. 


Another  recipe  for  a  hlue-hlack,  in  which  dye-woods  are  used 
in  the  saddenings,  for  sixteen  pounds  of  woollen  cloth. 

Four  pounds  of  logwood,  one  and  a  lialf  pounds  of  sumach, 
and  five  ounces  of  pearlash. 

Let  the  wares  boil  two  hours,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and  boil 
two  hours  and  a  half;  then  proceed  as  before. 


RECIPES.  55 

For  the  first  saddening,  use  one  and  a  half  pounds  of 
copperas,  one  and  a  quarter  pounds  of  ground  logwood,  and 
ten  ounces  of  blue  vitriol.  Boil  two  hours,  and  proceed  as 
usual. 

For  the  second  saddening,  add  one  and  a  half  pounds  of 
copperas,  and  six  ounces  of  fustic. 

Boil  one  hour,  and  try  a  pattern  ;  if  not  black  enough,  con- 
tinue boiling  another  hour.  The  liquor  must  be  boiled  with 
the  ingredients  in  both  of  these  saddenings,  for  twenty  minutes 
before  the  cloth  is  put  into  the  furnace.  It  is  necessary  in 
all  cases  where  colounng  matter  is  added  to  the  liquor  in 
the  saddenings,  that  they  should  be  boiled  from  twenty  to 
thirty  minutes  before  the  cloth  is  entered,  or  the  colour  will 
be  uneven. 


To  dye  sixteen  pounds  a  yellow -black,  approaching  toivardsajet. 

For  the  boiling,  use  five  pounds  of  logwood,  eighteen  ounces 
of  sumach,  fifteen  ounces  of  fustic,  and  one  ounce  of  pearlash. 

The  w'ares  must  boil  two  hours,  the  cloth  two  and  a  half, 
cool  down  the  liquor,  and  heave  out  and  cool  the  cloth. 

For  the  first  saddening,  use  one  and  a  half  pounds  of  cop- 
peras,  and  four  and  a  half  ounces  of  blue  vitriol. 

The  ingredients  to  be  dissolved  and  added  without  boiling 
the  liquor,  and  the  cloth  to  boil  two  houi's,  then  heave  out, 
&c.  as  before. 

For  the  second  saddening,  add  one  pound  and  three  quar- 
ters of  copperas,  and  five  ounces  of  fustic. 

The  ingredients  to  be  boiled  twenty  minutes,  then  throw 
in  the  cloth  and  boil  one  hour  and  a  half,  heave  out,  cool,  &:,c. 

For  the  third  saddening,  use  eight  ounces  of  copperas,  and 
twelve  ounces  of  fustic. 

The  wares  to  be  boiled  twenty  minutes,  and  the  cloth  to 
run  one  hour  and  a  half,  boiling  gently  for  half  an  hour  of 
the  time. 


To  dye  sixteen  pounds  of  a  rich  reddish  hrown  black. 

For  the  boiling,  use  six  pounds  of  logwood,  one  and  a 
quarter  pounds  of  sumach,  fourteen  ounces  of  fustic,  five 
ounces  of  argol,  seven  ounces  of  madder,  and  three  ounces 
of  verdigris. 


56  RECIPES. 

Let  the  ingredients  boil  two  hours,  the  cloth  run  two  hours, 
and  proceed  as  usual. 

For  the  first  saddening,  use  one  and  a  half  pounds  of  cop- 
peras, two  and  a  lialf  ounces  of  sumach,  and  two  and  a  quar- 
ter ounces  of  fustic. 

Boil  the  wares  twenty  mmutes,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and  boil 
it  two  hours. 

For  the  second  and  last  saddening,  use  one  and  a  half 
pounds  of  copperas,  two  and  a  quarter  ounces  of  blue  vitriol, 
two  and  a  quarter  ounces  of  sumach,  and  seven  ounces  of 
madder. 

Boil  the  wares  twenty  minutes,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and  boil 
it  gently  until  the  colour  is  rich  enough. 

I  have  before  remarked,  that  when  dye-wares  or  verdigris 
are  added  m  any  of  the  saddenings,  the  liquor  must  always 
boil  twenty  or  thirty  minutes  before  the  cloth  is  ent^ed  ;  but 
that  when  only  copperas  and  blue  vitriol  are  added,  it  may 
boil  or  not,  at  the  option  of  the  dyer.  When  put  in  without 
boiling,  they  must  previously  be  dissolved  in  a  bucket,  par- 
ticularly the  blue  vitriol,  which  is  the  most  difficult  of  solution. 
Let  me  here  remark,  that  in  all  cases  before  cloth  is  entered 
into  the  furnace,  the  liquor  must  be  well  stirred  with  the  dye- 
house  rake. 


To  dye  sixteen  'pounds  of  cloth  a  jet  Mack. 

For  the  boiling,  use  six  pounds  of  logwood,  one  pound  and 
three  quarters  of  sumach,  and  one  pound  and  three  quarters 
of  fustic. 

The  wares  to  boil  two  hours,  the  cloth  three,  and  heave 
out  and  cool. 

For  the  saddening,  use  two  pounds  and  three  quarters  of 
copperas,  and  three  ounces  of  blue  vitriol. 

The  ingredients  to  be  dissolved  in  a  bucket,  and  added  to 
the  liquor  without  boiling  ;  the  cloth  to  be  boiled  four  hours, 
run  up,  hove  out,  and  proceed  as  before  directed. 

The  following  recipe  for  a  jet  black  answers  better  than 
any  other  I  ever  tried.  The  body  is  strong,  the  colour  of  a- 
superior  hue,  and  is  so  permanent  that  it  will  wear  without 
changing  as  long  as  the  stoutest  cloth  will  last.  I  once  sold 
the  recipe  in  England,  for  this  process,  for  three  hundred 
pounds  sterling. 


\ 


RECIPES.  57 


For  sixteen  pounds  of  cloth. 

Twelve  ounces  of  argol,  and  six  ounces  of  verdigris. 

Dissolve  the  verdigris  by  putting  it  in  a  bucket  of  boiling 
water  the  day  before  using  it.  Bring  the  furnace  to  a  boil, 
and  boil  the  materials  one  hour.  Heave  in  the  cloth,  and 
boil  it  two  hours,  then  heave  it  out,  fold  it  up,  and  let  it  lay 
twelve  hours  or  more,  not  exceeding  two  days.  It  is  then 
to  be  washed  at  the  fulling-mill,  and  a  fresh  liquor  made  for 
colouring  it. 

To  colour  to  advantage  with  this  recipe,  there  should  be 
two  kettles  employed,  one  for  the  above  preparation  liquor, 
and  a  second  for  finishing ;  for  after  one  lot  has  been  boiled, 
if  others  follow  it  in  the  same  liquor,  one-sixth  of  the  above 
proportion  of  ingredients  may  be  saved,  and  the  liquor  will 
not  injure  by  being  kept  for  months,  provided  it  does  not  lay 
too  long  in  a  cold  state.  Where  this  convenience  cannot  be 
obtained,  three  or  four  boilings  may  be  made,  one  after  the 
other,  on  tlie  same  day,  as  the  prepai-ed  cloth  will  keep  any 
reasonable  time  after  being  washed. 

When  the  cloth  has  been  prepared,  as  above  stated,  it  has 
to  be  boiled  in  a  new  liquor,  as  follows :  six  pounds  of  log- 
wood,  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  sumach,  one-quarter  of  a 
pound  of  fustic,  and  seven  pounds  of  white-oak  sawdust. 

Let  the  wares  be  boiled  two  hours,  the  cloth  thrown  in, 
and  boiled  three  hours. 

For  the  first  saddening,  use  one  pound  and  three-quarters 
of  copperas. 

Dissolve  and  put  in  the  copperas,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and 
boil  two  hours. 

For  the  second  saddening,  use  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of 
copperas. 

Dissolve  the  copperas,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and  boil  one 
hour  and  a  half  Should  any  of  the  colours  be  too  strong 
in  body,  use  a  smaller  quantity  of  logwood,  or  the  same 
quantity  and  less  copperas. 

In  this  country,  where  the  swamp-maple  bark  is  so  easily 
obtained,  I  would  recommend  it  to  be  used  in  place  of  the 
sumach  and  white-oak  sawdust.  If  six  pounds  were  used 
with  the  logwood  and  fustic  in  the  boiling,  I  have  no  doubt 
it  would  make  even  a  better  colour  than  the  above  recipe. 

For  dying  a  rich  red-black,  take  any  of  the  recipes, 
excepting  those  for  blue-blacks,  leave  out  the  fustic,  and  add 


58  RECIPES. 

in  place  of  it,  two  pounds  of  ground  barwood,  and  one  of 
alder  bark,  for  every  twenty-six  pounds  of  cloth,  dividing 
these  between  the  two  saddenings. 

After  blacking,  and  the  cloth  has  lain  on  the  horse  about 
fourteen  hours,  let  it  be  first  streamed,  or  washed  well  in  a 
mill,  and  then  scoured  clean  with  fullers-earth,  according  to 
the  directions  given  for  scouring  of  cloth. 

After  blacks  are  scoured,  should  any  of  them  be  too  brown, 
or  have  a  russet  hue,  they  may  easily  be  remedied  as  follows : 
bring  a  furnace  of  clear  water  to  a  blood-heat,  and  add  to  it 
as  much  oil  of  vitriol  as  will  give  to  the  water  a  pretty  sour 
taste,  then  run  the  blacks  in  it,  until  they  become  of  the  hue 
wanted,  without  raising  the  temperature  of  the  liquor.  By 
this  simple  process,  all  brown-blacks  may  be  impi-oved,  and 
the  cloth  will  handle  the  softer  for  it;  but  it  must  be  a  bad 
dyer  whose  colours  require  it. 

When  an  English  dyer  is  desirous  of  having  a  black 
unusually  rich  and  full  bodied,  he  prepares  the  material  at 
the  season  when  walnuts  are  ripe.  He  purchases  the  green 
hulls  from  those  who  grow  the  nut,  and  puts  them  into  large 
hogsheads,  filling  them  with  water  so  as  to  cover  the  hulls.  It 
must  be  understood  that  these  hulls,  if  left  in  a  heap  only  a 
few  days  after  they  are  taken  from  the  nut,  will  be  spoiled 
for  this  purpose,  and  that  when  in  the  casks,  they  must  always 
be  kept  covered  with  water,  for  if  permitted  to  lie- on  the  top 
uncovei-ed,  they  will  soon  be  injured.  The  dyer  uses  them 
after  a  black  has  been  coloured,  when  it  has  been  washed 
clean  in  the  stocks,  but  before  scouring  with  earth.  For 
enriching  eight  ends,  or  two  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of 
black  cloth,  put  into  a  furnace  of  clean  water  from  eight  to 
sixteen  gallons  of  the  hulls,  with  the  proper  portion  of  their 
liquor,  add  to  these  four  pounds  of  alder  bark,  boil  them  two 
hours,  cool  down  with  water,  and  rake  the  hulls  and  bark 
out  of  the  liquor.  When  this  has  been  done,  enter  the  cloth, 
and  run  it  without  additional  heat  until  it  is  of  the  desired 
colour.  This  will  add  very  much  to  the  body  and  permanency 
of  the  black,  and  will  make  the  goods  handle  soft.  The  hulls 
of  the  common  walnut  would  probably  answer  every  purpose. 

It  is  a  fact  not  generally  known,  that  any  colouring  matter 
put  on  in  this  way,  after  a  black  has  received  its  colour,  will 
increase  the  body  of  the  colour  much  more  than  when  the 
same  material  has  been  added  in  the  first  process,  and  in 


RECIPES.  59 

most  instances  will  appear  much  blacker.  Weld  and  argol, 
or  weld  and  verdigris,  make  an  excellent  liquor,  for  improv- 
ing the  colour  of  blacks,  giving  a  fine  satin  hue. 


To  dye  wool  black. 

The  tools  used  to  work  wool  are,  a  rake  and  a  stang. 
The  rake  has  a  wooden  handle,  long  enough  for  the  work- 
man  using  it  to  stand  on  one  side  of  the  furnace,  and  to  throw 
it  to  the  side  opposite  to  him,  without  stooping  over  the  fur- 
nace :  the  handle  is  made  somewhat  stouter  than  those  used 
by  hay-makers.  For  the  purpose  of  raking,  iron  prongs  are 
placed  in  at  one  end,  dropping  down  from  the  end  of  the  handle 
about  nine  inches,  and  spreading  at  the  points  about  five  or 
six  inches.  An  iron  ring  is  put  on  the  handle,  where  the 
shaft  of  the  prong  enters,  to  prevent  the  wood  from  splitting. 
A  stang  is  a  round  and  smooth  wooden  lever,  about  three 
inches  in  diameter,  when  intended  for  a  large  furnace,  and 
long  enough  to  reach  to  the  bottom  of-  the  furnace,  and  to 
extend  above  the  top  from  four  to  five  feet. 

The  following  recipe  is  for  a  black,  where  the  wool  is 
dyed  a  middli-ng  blue  in  the  woad  vat,  and  is  for  sixteen 
pounds  of  wool.  When  blacks  have  been  previously  d3'ed 
blue,  the  colours  will  never  change  in  weating. 

Dye  the  wool  in  the  vat  to  the  blue  wanted,  wash  it  well, 
and  then  boil  the  dye-wares  in  the  furnace  in  bags.  The 
bags  used  for  this  purpose  are  very  open  in  the  texture,  and 
coarse,  but  strong,  and  they  should  be  made  to  hold  double 
the  quantity  of  the  dye-wares  intended  for  one  operation,  for 
when  a  bag  is  crowded,  the  liquor  cannot  penetrate  to  the 
centre  so  as  to  extract  all  the  colouring  matter  contained  in 
them.  When  the  furnaces  are  large,  and  great  quantities  are 
intended  to  be  coloured  at  each  operation,  at  least  four  such 
bags  should  be  provided  for  each  furnace. 


Recipe  for  sixteen  pounds  of  black  wool. 

Eleven  pounds  of  logwood,  three  pounds  of  swamp-maple, 
and  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  fustic. 

Boil  these  in  bags  for  four  hours,  take  out  the  bags,  run 
up  the  furnace  with  cold  water,  and  heave  in  the  wool ;  handle 
it  well  for  half  an  hour,  and  boil  it  well  for  three  hours. 


GO  RECIPES. 

It  will  be  necessary  to  explain  what  is  meant  by  handling 
of  "nool  in  the  furnace.  I  have  before  described  the  rake 
and  stang,  the  tools  with  which  the  operation  is  performed. 
The  wool  must  in  all  cases  be  completely  scoured,  and  well 
washed  before  it  is  coloui-ed,  and  it  is  essential  to  have  it  in 
a  moist  state  before  entering  the  furnace.  Before  the  wool  is 
put  in,  the  liquor  must  be  cooled  with  cold  water  to  about  170*^' 
Fahrenheit,  then  stir  it  well  with  adye-liouse  rake,  and  throw 
in  the  wool.  While  one  person  is  throwing  m,  another  is 
employed  to  push  it  under  the  liquor  with  a  stick  ;  when  the 
whole  is  in  and  under  the  liquor,  take  the  rake  and  draw  the 
wool  from  that  side  of  the  furnace  opposite  to  the  workman, 
to  that  where  he  stands,  then  thrust  the  long  lever  or  stang 
down  to  the  bottom  of  the  furnace,  on  the  same  side  the  man 
stands,  forcing  the  wool  down  with  it.  When  the  stang  strikes 
the  bottom,  thrust  it  toward  the  opposite  side,  along  the  bottom, 
and  bring  up  all  the  wool  to  the  surface.  Let  the  stang  be 
now  drawn  toward  the  workman,  one  or  two  feet,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  furnace,  the  curb  of  which  acts  as  a  fulcrum 
to  the  lever,  and  with  the  weight  of  the  body  suspended  on 
the  end  out  of  the  furnace,  lift  the  wool  above  the  liquor, 
and  by  a  jerk  and  a  twist  of  the  stang  shake  the  wool  abroad 
on  the  surface.  Let  it  now  be  raked  over  again,  and  proceed 
as  before.  These  directions  must  be  kept  in  view,  and  the 
operations  pursued  in  every  instance  where  wool  is  to  bo 
dyed  in  the  furnace,  for,  if  neglected,  the  colour  will  be 
uneven. 

It  will  be  seen  that  half  an  hour  is  prescribed  for  working 
the  wool  after  it  has  been  thrown  into  the  liquor — by  the 
time  this  has  been  performed,  the  liquor  will  begin  to  boil, 
and  must  be  kept  boiling  sl-owly  all  the  time  prescribed  without 
any  further  handling.  The  same  process  will  have  to  be 
pursued  for  all  wool  colours  that  are  dyed  in  the  furnace, 
therefoi-e,  I  need  not  repeat  these  directions  for  any  recipe 
that  may  hereafler  be  given,  only  mentioning  the  time  of 
boiling,  handUng,  &c. 

When  the  wool  has  boiled  the  time  prescribed,  it  lias  to  be 
saddened  with  the  following  materials :  one  pound  and  a 
quarter  of  copperas,  and  eleven  ounces  of  alum. 

Handle  well  for  half  an  hour,  then  boil  one  hour,  and  let 
lie  all  night. 

The  ingredients  used  in  the  saddening  must  be  dissolved 


RECIPES.  61 

ju  a  bucket  of  the  liquor  before  the  time  of  usino^  them,  and 
the  liquor  in  the  furnace  cooled  down  with  water  as  low  as 
convenient,  before  any  of  the  saddening  compound  is  added. 
When  this  has  been  done,  one  person  should  be  actively 
employed  in  handling  the  wool,  while  another  sprinkles  the  sad- 
dening liquor  over  the  surface  of  the  liquor  in  the  furnace,  in 
small  quantities  at  a  time,  permitting  one  quantity  to  be  mixed 
thoroughly  with  the  wool  before  another  is  added,  adminis- 
tering  it  at  regular  progressive  periods,  till  the  whole  of  the 
saddening  solution  has  been  added,  then  continue 'to  handle 
afterward  for  the  space  of  ten  or  fifteen  minutes. 


Recipe  for  colouring  sixteen  pounds  of  wool  for  a  black 
mixture. 

This  proves  a  very  good  colour,  and  is  tolerably  perma- 
nent. It  must  be  understood  that  the  quantity  of  dj^e-wares 
prescribed  are  always  for  clean  wool,  as  an  English  dyer 
never  attempts  to  colour  it  in  any  other  state. 

Seven  pounds  of  logwood,  ten  ounces  of  blue  vitriol,  and 
seven  ounces  of  verdigris. 

Proceed  as  directed  before  in  the  boiling  of  wares  and 
wool,  boil  the  wool  three  hours,  and  let  lie  all  night. 

Recipe  for  sixteen  pounds  of  wool  for  a  black  mixture. 

Seven  pounds  of  logwood,  fourteen  ounces  of  alder  bark, 
six  ounces  of  fustic,  and  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  pearlash. 

Boil  the  wares  in  bags  four  hours,  take  the  bags  out,  run  up 
the  liquor,  heave  in  the  wool,  handle  forty  minutes,  boil  three 
hours,  and  then  stew  over. 

One  pound  and  a  quarter  of  copperas,  and  seven  ounces 
of  blue  vitriol. 

Handle  until  the  colour  is  even,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie 
in  all  nisrht. 


To  dye  black  on  cotton. 

I  shall  proceed  to  give  three  Manchester  recipes  for  dying 
black  on  cotton.  They  were  obtained  from  a  first-rate  Man- 
chester dyer.  After  which  I  shall  give  a  new  mode  of  dying 
cotton   recently  discovered. 

6 


62  RECIPES. 

First  Manchester  recipe. 
The  cotton  has  first  to  be  dyed  a  light  blue,  in  the  usual 
blue  vat,  and  then  washed.  For  each  pound  of  cotton  to  he 
dyed,  boil  four  ounces  of  sumach,  and  a  double  handful  of 
logwood  chips,  which  have  been  boiled  before  for  other  col- 
ours; when  these  are  boiled,  take  the  clear  liquor  and  add  to 
it  half  a  pint  of  urine,  turn  in  the  cotton,  handle  well,  and 
let  it  lie  all  night.  Take  it  out  in  the  morning,  dissolve  for 
eacli  pouod  of  cotton  half  an  ounce  of  copperas,  turn  the  cot- 
ton into  this  liquor,  and  work  it  well  for  ten  minutes,  repeating 
the  same  ten  or  twelve  times,  wring  out  and  wash  well — put 
another  half  pint  of  urine  into  the  sumach  and  logwood  liquor, 
turn  the  cotton  again  in  this,  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes, 
handling  it  now  and-  then — dissolve  another  half  ounce  of 
copperas,  and  add  it  to  the  former  copperas  liquor,  turn  in 
the  cotton,  and  repeat  as  before,  wring  out  and  wash  well. 
Boil  for  every  pound  of  cotton,  twelve  ounces  of  logAvood 
chips  for  half  an  hour,  take  off  the  clear  liquor,  and  add 
half  a  pint  of  urine  for  each  pound  of  logwood  ;  turn  in  the 
cotton  for  half  an  hour  at  the  usual  heat,  work  it  well,  raise 
it  out,  and  leave  it  to  drain  upon  a  pin ;  dissolve  for  each 
pound  of  cotton,  twelve  ounces  of  copperas,  put  it  into  the 
logwood  liquor,  stir  well,  and  turn  in  the  cotton  for  half  an 
hour,  work  it  well,  wring  out  and  wash  well.  Boil  the  first 
sumach  and  logwood  liquor  again  for  half  an  hour,  put  in  a 
handful  of  ground  black-oak  bark  for  each  pound  of  cotton, 
and  turn  it  in  at  tlie  usual  heat — dissolve  for  each  pound  of 
cotton  two  ounces  of  copperas,  pour  it  into  the  last  liquor, 
stir  well,  and  turn  in  the  cotton  for  twenty  minutes — wring 
out,  wash    dry,  and  it  is  finished. 


Second  recipe  for  dying  black  on  cotton. 
Before  giving  this  recipe,  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  direc- 
tions how  to  prepare  the  acetate  of  iron  and  the  pyroligneate, 
to  which  I  shall  add  the  pyroligneate  of  copper,  as  each  of 
these  compounds  will  be  prescribed  in  dying  the  different 
colours  on  cotton  and  silk. 


To  make  a  superior  pyroligneate  of  iron. 
Dissolve  four  pounds  of  copperas  in  twenty  pounds,  or  as 
many  pints  of  rain-water,  and  filter  it — then  dissolve  four 


RECIPES.  68 

pounds  of  potash  in  twelve  pounds  of  rain-water,  and  filter 
this  also  on  another  filter,  mix  the  two  liquids  together,  expose 
the  mixture  to  the  air,  and  when  by  the  exposure  it  has 
attained  a  deep  red  colour,  then  pour  the  whole  on  a  linen 
filter  ;  when  the  water  has  passed  through,  there  will  remain 
on  the  filter  a  red  oxyde  of  iron,  which  must  be  washed  with 
much  water  until  it  has  no  taste  of  salt.  This  washing  is 
done  on  the  filter,  and  when  completed,  place  the  red  oxyde 
of  iron  on  a  clean  board  until  it  is  dry,  and  has  attained  its 
maximum  of  oxydizcment ;  then  take  the  oxyde  and  triturate, 
or  rub  it  in  a  mai'ble  mortar,  pour  on  as  much  pyroligneous 
acid  as  will  dissolve  it   and  filter  acrain. 


To  make  pyroligneatc  of  copper. 

Take  one  pound  of  blue  vitriol,  dissolve  it  in' six  pounds 
of  rain-water,  then  dissolve  one  pound  of  pearlash  in  tliree 
pounds  of  rain-water,  mix  the  two,  put  it  on  the  filter,  wash  it, 
and  dissolve  in  the  pyroligneous  acid,  as  directed  for  the  oxyde 
of  iron.  When  the  pyroligncate  of  iron  and  copper  are 
wanted  in  combination,  take  three  parts  of  the  oxyde  of 
iron  as  it  remains  on  the  filter,  after  it  is  dry,  and  one  of  the 
oxyde  of  copper  in  the  same  state;  triturate  them  in  a  marble 
mortar,  pour  on  as  much  p3'^roligneous  acid  as  will  dissolve 
them,  and  filter  the  whole.  These  mordants  are  much  used, 
either  separately  or  combined,  for  dying  fine  colours  on  silk 
and  cotton.  For  common  colours  cheaper  solutions  are  made, 
by  merely  saturating  pyroHgneous  acid  with  iron,  either  in 
a  cold  state,  or  by  boiling. 

The  pyroligneous  acid,  as  the  term  denotes,  is  an  acid 
extracted  from  wood  by  distillation.  The  purest  acid  of  this 
kind  is  very  expensive,  there  being  much  trouble  and  expense 
incurred  m  separating  all  the  empyreumatic  oil  from  it ;  but 
that  which  is  commonly  used  for  the  purpose  of  dying,  need 
not  be  very  pure — all  that  is  necessary  is  to  have  it  so  clean 
from  the  oil  that  none  of  it  shall  adhere  to  the  goods.  The 
crude  acid  can  be  bought  by  the  cask  at  eight  cents  per  gallon. 

For  making  common  pyroligncate  of  iron,  the  acid  is  put 
into  large  casks,  vats,  or  any  other  vessels,  to  which  is  added 
old  iron  hoops,  the  dust  which  falls  from  the  stones  in  grind- 
ing edge-tools,  or  turnings  of  iron,  and  the  liquor  left  to  stand 


64  RECIPES. 

open  until  strong  enough.  It  should  be  frequently  stirred, 
and  occasionally  drawn  off  and  thrown  on  again. 

The  pyroligneous  acid,  in  its  crude  state,  as  it  is  collectea 
from  the  still,  will  dissolve  double  the  quantity  of  iron  that 
will  be  taken  into  solution  by  strong  vinegar. 

The  common  acetite  of  iron  is  made  by  putting  strong 
vinegar  into  a  vessel,  and  adding  iron  the  same  as  before.  In 
many  dye-houses  in  England,  they  keep  this  liquor  in  large 
quantities,  and  value  it  according  to  its  age.  For  some  pur- 
poses they  add  alder  bark,  &c.  to  these  liquors. 

We  now  proceed  to  the  second  recipe  for  dying  of  black 
on  cotton. 

Dip  the  cotton  in  four  quarts  of  the  common  acetite  of  iron, 
or  in  two  of  the  pyroligneate  made  by  a  cold  solution,  to  each 
pound  of  cotton,  let  it  lie  all  night,  in  the  morning  wring  it 
out  and  dry,  and  afterward  wash  it  well.  Boil  in  a  copper 
vessel  four  ounces  of  sumach,  eight  ounces  of  umbro  mad- 
der, and  two  ounces  of  logwood,  for  each  pound  of  cotton ; 
boil  the  sumach  and  logwood  together  for  one  hour,  and 
empty  the  clear  liquor  into  another  furnace ;  into  this  liquor 
put  the  madder,  and  drive  on  the  fire  until  it  just  boils ;  then 
draw  the  fire,  and  when  the  liquor  is  milk-warm  enter  the 
cotton  as  in  the  blue  vat,  bring  the  liquor  to  a  boiling  heat 
in  one  hour  and  a  half,  but  not  to  boil  out ;  let  it  lie  at  that 
heat  for  fifleen  minutes,  then  draw  the  fire,  place  the  cotton 
hollow  and  straight,  and  let  it  lay  so  for  one  or  two  hours, 
then  raise  it  out  of  the  liquor  and  wring  gently,  shaking  the 
madder  well  out  of  it — take  it  out  one  string  at  a  time,  wash 
clean  from  the  madder,  wring  evenly  and  dry.  In  the  sum- 
mer, dry  in  the  shade,  and  in  the  winter  in  a  stove. 

The  third  recipe  for  cotton  is  much  cheaper,  but  not  so 
permanent,  nor  does  it  make  so  fine  a  colour  as  the  others. 

Boil  a  sufficient  quantity  of  sumach  for  half  an  hour,  strain 
the  liquor,  into  which  enter  the  cotton,  and  work  well  for  half 
an  hour,  wring  out,  dip  it  in  water  and  urine,  and  then  rinse 
it ;  dissolve  copperas  in  water,  into  which  enter  the  goods, 
and  handle  them  rapidly  for  half  an  hour,  then  wring  them 
out,  and  enter  them  into  pure  lime-water.  Boil  logwood  in 
water  for  one  hour,  and  strain  it  through  a  cloth ;  enter  the 
cotton  in  this,  and  work  until  it  is  of  the  colour  wanted.  It 
must  tiien  be  exposed  to  the  air  to  dry.  If  dark  enough, 
wash  it,  and  redry  it ,  if  not  dark  enough,  give  it  another 


RECIPES.  66 

dip  through  the  same  materials.  Cotton,  which  will  not  take 
up  more  than  a  given  quantity  of  colouring  matter  at  one 
operation,  will,  after  dying,  take  up  a  second  portion;  and 
whenever  a  strong  rich  colour  is  wanted  on  cotton,  it  is  better 
to  give  it  one  portion,  then  dry  and  wash,  when  it  will  take 
a  second  very  rapidly.  By  repeating  the  operations,  any 
body  of  colour  may  be  obtained.  ' 


A  new  method  of  colouring  black,  discovered  by  Messrs, 
William  Adams  c^^  Co. 

Pud  the  cotton  in  such  pyroligiieate  of  iron  as  is  made  by 
the  firm  abovenamed ;  then  dry  the  cotton,  run  it  through 
water  containing  chloride  of  lime,  about  t\ro  pounds  to  the 
hogshead  of  water,  dry  again,  and  then  finish  in  a  logwood 
liquor,  or  with  logwood  and  madder,  or  logwood  and  sumach. 


To  j^repare  the  chlorine  water  for  black. 
Stir  two  pounds  of  c'lloride  of  lime  in  four  gallons  of  water, 
let  stand  to  settle,  and  then  pour  the  clear  liquor  into  a  hogs- 
head of  water.  This  is  the  most  expeditious  mode  of  dying 
black  on  cotton,  and  the  colours  are  superior  to  the  common 
productions. 


To  dye  black  on  silk. 

Take  any  quantity  of  valonia,  boil  it  in  a  copper  furnace, 
strain  the  liquor  into  a  back  of  such  heat  as  will  not  interfere 
with  the  resin  of  the  silk — put  the  silk  into  this  liquor  for 
three  days,  turning  it  once  a  day,  wash  out,  and  stick  up  to 
drain.  Bring  on  a  kettleful  of  clean  water  to  a  boiling  heat, 
put  into  it  a  great  quantity  of  copperas,  with  a  small  quan- 
tity of  logwoodi  and  alder-bark  liquor ;  give  the  silk  four 
wets  in  this,  boiling  hot,  wring  out  over  the  kettle,  hang  up 
in  a  stove  and  dry.  It  may  be  scrooped  with  lime-juice ; 
should  it  feel  harsh,  beat  it  well  with  fullers-earth  on  a  smooth 
stone,  then  wash  it  clean,  wring  as  dry  as  possible,  and  hang 
it  in  a  stove  to  dry. 

The  silk  dyed  by  this  recipe  was  the  raw  article  in  skeins, 
which  always  contains  a  considerable  portion  of  natural  resm 
that  must  not  be  disturbed  by  the  heat  of  the  liquor :  hence 

"6* 


66  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

the  reason  of  the  precaution  used  in  the  recipe.  It  will  be 
understood,  that  when  gum  is  mentioned  in  any  other  recipe, 
it  has  reference  to  this  explanation. 

Valonia  is  the  cups  and  stalks  on  which  the  acorns  grow  of 
some  peculiar  oak  ;  it  is  imported  largely  into  England,  for  tlie 
purpose  of  silk  dying,  and  for  tanning  some  kinds  of  leather. 

The  alder-bark  liquor,  mentioned  in  the  last  recipe  for 
dying,  is  made  as  follows  :  take  any  quantity  of  pyroligneous 
acid,  fill  casks  with  it  of  one  hundred  gallons,  each  two-thirds 
full,  into  each  of  which  put  two  baskets  full,  or  two  bushels 
of  chipped  alder-bark,  and  a  large  quantity  of  old  iron  hoops, 
turnings  of  iron,  or  the  dust  of  iron  that  falls  off  in  grinding 
edge-tools ;  the  latter  is  mixed  with  the  powder  from  the 
stone,  which  will  by  no  means  injure  the  compound. 

Many  of  the  colours  in  silk  dying  are  scrooped  with  lime- 
juice,  which  is  done  after  the  goods  have  been  dyed.  To  do 
this,  some  lime-juice  is  put  into  a  tub  of  clean  water,  the 
coloured  silk  is  immersed  in  it,  and  a  few  turns  given,  when 
it  is  wrung  out  and  dried.  This  is  done  for  the  purpose  of 
making  the  colours  clear  and  bright,  and  in  black  for  taking 
off  any  russet  hue  that  may  have  been  left  by  the  colouring. 
A  weak  oil  of  vitriol  liquor  is  supposed  to  answer  nearly  as 
well.  These  remarks  will  be  kept  in  view  whenever  scroop- 
ing is  mentioned  in  other  recipes. 

The  following  recipes  for  dying  black  on  silk,  are  extracted 
from  a  work  published  at  the  expense  of  the  government, 
dated  the  7th  of  February,  1828  ;  being  a  treatise  on  the 
manufacture  of  silk,  edited  by  Dr.  Mease,  of  Philadelphia. 
I  shall  insert  such  recipes  from  this  work,  on  other  colours, 
as  I  think  may  be  useful. 


Process  of  dijbig  silk  Mack,  by  Vitalis. 
Boil  the  silk  in  the  ordinary  way,  with  twenty  pounds  of 
soap  to  one  hundred  pounds  of  silk,  and  after  it  is  well  washed, 
and  freed  from  the  soap,  it  is  dried.  The  skeins  are  then 
immersed  in  a  decoction  of  galls  in  sorts,  in  the  proportion 
of  two  ounces  to  a  pound  of  silk.  The  gall  bath  must  be 
moderately  warm.  The  hanks  are  put  on  the  rods,  and 
lightly  pressed.  They  are  then  put  into  the  bath,  which  must 
be  kept  warm  during  fifteen  or  eighteen  hours;  after  this, 
they  are  to  be  taken  out  and  dried,  and  then  put  into  a  warm 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  67 

bath  of  pyroligneate  of  iron,  of  the  strength  of  5",  as  marked 
on  Baume's  hydrometer,  and  dipped  for  some  time ;  then  im- 
mersed, and  the  heat  of  the  bath  increased,  during  five  or  six 
hours,  taking  out  and  airing!  tiiem  from  time  to  time.  After 
being  taken  from  the  iron  bath,  tlie  silk  is  wrung  and  dried  in 
the  air,  or  under  a  shed  in  moist  weather.  It  then  receives  two 
beatings,  and  is  subject  to  a  new  gaUing,  made  with  the  remains 
of  the  former  gall  liquor,  and  an  ounce  and  a  half  of  galls 
to  a  pound  of  silk  :  then  taken  out,  wrung  and  dried.  This 
galling  is  followed  by  a  new  bath,  made  warm,  of  the  pyro- 
ligneate of  iron,  of  four  degrees  of  strength,  with  the  pre- 
cautions before  noted.  The  silk  is  again  taken  out,  wrung 
and  dried,  two  more  beatings  and  a  third  galling  given  to  it, 
the  bath  of  which  must  have  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  new  galls 
to  a  pound  of  silk,  and  the  former  procedure  renewed.  It 
must  then  have  another  bath  of  pyroligneate  of  iron,  of  three 
'degrees  of  strength,  and  be  dried  and  washed.  For  deep 
black,  a  fourth  galling  with  one  ounce  of  galls  to  a  pound 
of  silk,  followed  by  the  pyroligneate  bath  of  3*^,  will  be 
requisite ;  then  dry  and  wash  carefully.  Run  it  through  a 
warm  bath  of  soap  and  water,  into  which  plunge  it  for  some 
time  ;  after  which  it  is  to  be  washed  and  dried  for  the  last 
time.     It  may  be  gummed  if  required. 

Chaptal  says,  "  a  very  full,  clear,  permanent  black,  has 
been  obtained  by  the  employment  of  a  solution  of  iron  imme- 
diately after  a  strong  galling ;  the  stuff  is  then  immersed  in 
a  decoction  of  logwood,  and  next  into  this  decoction  con- 
joined with  a  solution  of  iron  and  verdigris  :  and  this  process 
is  to  be  repeated  until  the  black  is  very  beautiful.  With 
this  view,  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds,  five  oimces,  and  ten 
drachms  of  silk  ;  forty-four  pounds  and  two  ounces  of  nutgalls ; 
sixty-six  pounds  and  three  ounces  of  copperas,  calcined  to 
redness — the  same  quantity  of  logwood,  and  eleven  pounds, 
nine  drachms  of  verdigris,  were  employed." 

The  silk  is  to  be  first  wrung  out  of  the  galls,  allowed  to 
dry,  and  then  strongly  shaken  by  the  hands,  in  order  to  venti- 
late,  and  detach  from  it  any  adhering  galls. 

The  same  process  of  rubbing,  shaking,  &c.  is  to  be  em- 
ployed in  respect  to  the  logwood  hath  ;  and  the  silk  is  to  be 
carefully  washed  after  each  immersion  in  the  solution  of 
copperas.  In  the  last  logwood  bath  is  to  be  dissolved  two 
ounces  and  fifteen  drachms  of  gum  arable,  to  one  pound,  four 


68  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

ounces,  and  four  drachms  of  silk  ;  the  black  is  softened  by 
passing  the  dyed  silk  through  soap  and  water. 


To  dye  furs  or  hats  Hack. 
Prepare  them  first  in  a  liquor,  in  which  has  been  dissolved 
one  pound  of  argol,  and  about  ten  ounces  of  verdigris,  for 
every  twenty  pounds  of  fur,  or  hats  ;  then  finish  the  hats 
with  swamp-maple  bark,  logwood  and  copperas,  and  the  furs 
with  the  usual  dye-stuffs. 


On  blue  dying. 

I  shall  begin  with  the  woad  vat.  It  may  be  useful  to  the 
dyer  to  know  how  to  measure  the  contents  in  gallons  of  a 
vat,  or  any  other  conical  .or  cylindrical  vessel ;  for  it  will  be 
perceived,  in  the  course  of  the  following  instructions,  that 
the  quantity  of  material  used,  must  always  be  nearly  in  a 
given  ratio  to  the  contents  of  the  vessel  employed. 

When  a  vat  is  cylindrical,  that  is,  when  the  diameter  of 
the  whole  length,  from  top  to  bottom,  is  the  same,  multiply  the 
diameter  in  inches  by  itself,  and  cut  off"  the  right-hand  figure, 
and  the  remaining  figures  express  the  ale  gallons  in  a  yard 
length  of  that  cylinder,  near  enough  for  every  practical  pur- 
pose,  it  giving  only  one  gallon  too  little  in  three  hundred  and 
seventy-nine.  When  a  conical  vessel  has  to  be  measured, 
that  is,  a  vessel  that  is  larger  at  one  end  than  the  other,  and 
regularly  widening  from  the  smallest  end  to  the  largest,  take 
the  mean  diameter,  reduce  that  to  inches,  and  proceed  as 
described  for  the  cylindrical  vessel. 

A  vat  for  woollen  dying  may  be  of  any  dimensions  that 
may  suit  the  whim  or  convenience  of  the  dyer.  The  English 
vats  that  have  come  under  my  notice,  have  been  of  one  size  : 
seven  feet  six  inches  in  depth,  the  same  in  diameter  across  the 
bottom,  and  six  feet  across  the  top.  This  shape  is  considered 
advantageous,  because  the  bottom  being  large,  will  hold  the 
sediment  without  rising  so  high  as  to  interfere  with  the  work, 
and  because  the  sediment  settles  without  lodging  against  the 
sides  of  the  vat,  which  of  course  would  be  taken  up  by  the 
wool  or  cloth  dyed  in  it. 

White-pine  planks,  free  from  knots,  two  inches  and  a  half 
thick,  are  used  for  making  blue  vats,  and  they  are  bound  with 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  69 

stout  iron  hoops,  about  three  inches  wide,  driven  on  very 
tight,  the  lower  one  over  the  chime,  and  a  second  about  six 
inches  above  it ;  three  others,  making  five  in  all,  the  last  one 
near  the  top,  are  all  that  is  necessary  to  make  it  very  secure. 
When  the  vat  is  put  in  its  place,  a  puddle  of  strong,  stiff  clay, 
should  be  placed  under  the  bottom,  on,  and  into  which  the 
vat  is  worked,  until  tlie  space  is  quite  filled  up  between  the 
bottom  of  the  staves  and  tiie  bottom  of  the  vat.  To  accom. 
plish  this,  two  or  three  holes  are  bored  through  the  bottom, 
to  give  vent  to  the  air  underneath,  which  would  otherwise 
prevent  the  vat  from  sinking  in  the  puddle. 

There  arc  three  dilFerent  ways  of  heating  the  vat  liquors. 
One  by  turning  it  over  into  a  furnace,  and  when  heated  to 
boiling,  returning  it  again  into  the  vat ;  a  second  by  having 
a  part  of  the  vat  made  of  metal,  and  passing  a  flue  round  it ; 
and  thirdly,  heating  it  by  steam.  -I  shall  describe  each  of 
these  operations,  that  those  who  are  interested  may  make 
choice  of  the  one  that  suits  them. 

When  a  vat  liquor  is  bailed  into  another  vessel  to  be  heated, 
a  furnace  must  be  placed  within  a  convenient  distance,  large 
enough  to  hold  rather  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  liquor, 
without  being  quite  full.  Wide  gutters  must  be  provided,  long 
enough  to  reach  from  the  centre  of  the  vat  to  the  centre  of 
the  furnace.  A  piggin  holding  about  two  gallons,  suspended 
on  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  will  be  wanted  to  lade  the  liquor 
backwards  and  forwards.  A  vat  kept  in  constant  work  with 
wool,  will  have  to  be  heated  twice  a  week — on  Wednesdays 
and  Saturdays.  The  liquor  should  be  thrown  over  in  the 
morning,  after  settling  all  night,  before  stirring,  for  if  this  be 
done  an  hour  or  two  after  stirring,  there  will  be  sufficient 
woad,  and  other  contents  of  the  vat  floating  in  it,  to  burn 
against  the  side  and  bottom  of  tlie  copper ;  and  as  indigo  is 
always  mixed  with  the  sediment,  some  of  this  also  will  be  burnt. 
When  a  liquor  is  in  the  furnace,  the  fire  should  be  driven  on 
rapidly,  until  it  approaches  to  a  boiling  heat,  and  then  lowered 
to  prevent  its  boiling  over,  which  it  js  apt  to  do,  as  rapidly 
as  new  milk.  A  vat  liquor,  when  strong  in  material,  will 
boil  at  about  204^  Fahrenheit,  when  weak  at  208°.  When 
near  boiling,  the  head,  on  being  separated  by  a  board,  will 
close  together  again  instantly.  Two  buckets  full  of  water 
should  be  standing  by  the  furnace,  ready  to  throw  in  when 
the  head  begins  to  rise  from  boiling,  the  furnace-door  should 


70  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

be  thrown  open,  and  the  fire  raked  out.  After  standing  a  few 
minutes,  the  Uquor  has  to  be  thrown  back  again  into  the  vat. 

When  a  blue  hquor  is  intended  to  be  heated  by  fire,  with- 
out boiUng  it  in  the  furnace,  the  vat  must  be  differently 
constructed.  A  conical  vessel  must  be  first  made,  six  feet 
deep,  seven  feet  in  diameter  on  the  bottom,  and  six  feet  across 
the  top.  This  vessel  is  to  be  cut  off"  two  feet  from  the  top, 
and  a  sheet  of  copper  nailed  on  the  lower  edge  of  the  upper 
piece,  and  on  the  edge  of  the  lower  piece.  The  sheet  cop- 
per must  be  fastened  on  the  inside,  first  working  round  the 
staves  with  a  circular  plane,  three  inches  from  each  end,  and 
inserting  two  strips  of  canvass,  well  coated  with  white  lead, 
between  the  wood-work  and  copper,  on,  and  to  which,  the 
latter  should  be  fastened  with  copper  nails,  driven  in  so  close 
together  that  the  heads  come  nearly  in  contact,  but  not  so  as 
to  lap  over  each  other.  A  fireplace  is  fixed  in  any  part  of 
the  circle  that  is  most  convenient,  with  a  grate,  door-frame, 
&c.,  and  is  placed  five  or  six  inches  lower  than  the  copper 
round  the  vat.  A  brick  flue  is  built  round  the  copper,  wliich 
commences  where  the  fire  enters,  and  continues  to  the  other 
extreme  of  the  circle,  where  the  smoke  enters  a  chimney, 
and  is  conveyed  off".  The  flue  round  a  vat  should  be  ten 
inches  at  the  bottom,  and  three  at  the  top,  narrowing  upwards, 
in  order  to  facilitate  the  closing  of  it.  There  should  be  two 
thicknesses  of  brick  between  the  flue  and  each  edge  of  the 
wood-work,  to  prevent  the  fire  charring  the  vat  at  either  edge. 

When  a  vat  is  heated  by  steam,  it  is  cut  off"  as  in  the  former 
case ;  but  instead  of  a  sheet  of  copper  between  the  wood- 
work,  a  cylinder  of  iron  is  used,  three  feet  six  inches  deep,  and 
of  the  same  diameter  as  the  wood-work  :  it  is  cast  with  two 
flanges  of  seven  inches,  one  near  the  top,  and  the  other  near 
the  bottom  of  the  cylinder.  The  principal  use  of  the  flanges 
is  to  insert  a  circle  of  stout  staves  between  the  two,  so  as  to 
secure  a  free  passage  for  the  steam  around  the  work  and  iron 
cylinder.  Into  this  passage  the  steam  is  admitted  from  a 
boiler,  and  the  condensed  water  passes  off*  by  means  of  a 
syphon,  at  any  part  of  the  circle,  where  it  may  be  most  con- 
venient to  place  it. 

An  English  vat,  of  the  size  described,  is  set  with  five 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds  of  the  best  woad,  five  pounds  of 
umbro  madder,  one  peck  of  bran,  four  pounds  of  copperas, 
and  a  quarter  of  a  peck  of  dry-slacked  lime.     Before  we 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  71 

•^     proceed,  it  will  be  necessary  to  give  directions  for  preparing 
the  lime. 

For  two  English  vats,  a  half-barrel  of  lime  should  be 
prepared  at  one  time.  Take  new  bumf  lime,  put  it  on  a 
clean  stone  floor,  and  pour  suflicient  water  over  it  from  a 
watering-pot,  to  make  it  fall  into  a  fine  dry  powder,  but  not 
enough  to  leave  the  mass  wet  when  fallen.  When  watered 
enough,  put  it  up  into  a  close  heap;  throw  a  wool  bag  over 
it,  and  leave  it  until  the  following  morning.  The  heap  has 
then  to  be  opened,  and  the  stones,  if  any,  taken  out  of  it. 
It  must  now  be  put  into  a  box  having  a  close  lid,  and  left  for 
use.  Care  must  be  taken  to  have  tlie  box,  in  which  the  lime 
is  placed,  as  air-tight  as  possible. 

The  woad  will  have  to  be  chopped  into  small  lumps  with 
a  spade,  and  thrown  into  the  vat  before  the  liquor  is  put  in ; 
let  the  madder  be  broken  into  the  vat  in  small  pieces,  and 
the  bran  and  lime  thrown  in  upon  them.  When  the  mate- 
rials are  in  the  vat,  it  should  be  filled  up  with  water  that  has 
been  boiled  and  cooled  down  to  about  195°  Fahrenheit,  from 
the  furnace,  and  the  contents  kept  stirred  all  the  time  it  is 
filling.  When  the  vat  is  full,  within  four  or  five  inches  of  the 
top,  give  it  a  good  stirring  for  half  an  hour,  and  then  cover 
down  close.  A  dye-house  bucket  should  hold  four  gallons, 
and  whilst  the  vat  is  stirring  after  it  has  been  filled,  put  in 
one  bucket  of  well-ground  indigo,  containing  fifteen  pounds 
of  the  dry  article.  The  vat  should  be  set  about  four  or  five 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  be  attended  and  stirred  about 
nine  o'clock  the  same  evening ;  by  this  time,  if  every  thing 
goes  on  regular,  the  fermentation  will  so  far  have  progressed, 
that,  when  a  small  portion  of  the  liquor  is  let  run  from  either 
a  scoop,  or  any  tin  vessel,  between  the  person  viewing  it 
and  tlie  light,  it  will  appear  of  a  dark  bottle-green.  When 
well  stirred,  let  it  be  covered  down,  and  if  the  weather  should 
be  cold,  throw  some  mats  or  wool-bags  over  the  covers  to  keep 
in  the  heat,  which  will  prevent  its  cooling  too  low  before  the 
liquor  comes  to  work.  The  person  who  manages  the  vat, 
must  attend  at  five  o'clock  the  following  morning ;  let  him 
take  off  both  covers,  and  plimge  the  rake  into  the  vat,  so  as 
to  bring  up  some  of  the  air  to  the  surface  that  will  be  carried 
down  by  the  rake,  when  a  part  of  the  sediment  of  the  vat 
will  rise  with  the  bubbles.  If  the  fermentation  has  pro- 
gressed, as  it  should  do,  the  air-bubbles  will  appear  of  a  fine 


72  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

blue,  and  a  number  of  copper-coloured  scales  will  float  on  the 
surface  of  the  liquor.  Should  these  appearances  take  place, 
and  the  liquor,  when  viewed  by  transmitted  light,  be  of  a  dark 
olive-green,  put  ii*to  it  another  bucket  of  ground  indigo,  and 
a  quarter  of  a  peck  of  the  slacked  lime;  stir  the  liquor  for 
twenty  minutes,  and  cover  down  close.  The  heat  of  the  vat 
should  now  be  at  about  140°  Fahrenheit,  and  if  it  has  lowered 
down  below  135'^,  and  it  be  a  fire  vat,  a  fire  must  be  applied 
to  raise  and  keep  it  at  the  latter  heat.  Two  hours  after  this 
stirring  it  must  be  stirred  again,  when,  if  the  fermentation  is 
found  to  have  gone  on  in  regular  progression,  the  liquor  will 
be  of  a  brighter  olive  than  in  the  morning,  the  bubbles  will 
be  of  a  richer  purple,  and  the  surface  more  generally  covered 
with  copper-coloured  scales  ;  should  these  symptoms  make 
their  appearance,  add  another  quarter  of  a  peck  of  lime,  stir 
for  ten  minutes,  and  cover  down  close  as  before.  The  liquor 
must  now  be  stirred  every  two  hours,  and  if  the  appearance 
continue  to  improve,  a  quarter  of  a  peck  of  lime  will  have 
to  be  added  at  each  stirring,  until  tliere  have  been  given  from 
eight  to  ten  quarters,  including  the  one  that  was  put  in  when 
the  vat  was  first  set.  By  the  time  eight  have  been  added, 
the  liquor  will  look  very  rich  in  the  bead,  the  bubbles  will 
rise  of  all  sizes,  from  the  bulk  of  an  hen's  egg  to  that  of  a 
small  hazel-nut,  and  none  of  them  will  break  so  as  to  dis- 
appear ;  but  many  of  them  will  collapse,  and  as  they  fall 
together,  will  appear  of  a  rich  smalt  colour,  coated  with  a 
fat-looking  skin.  A  large  quantity  of  bubbles  will  have  risen 
by  this  time,  which,  laying  on  the  surface  in  a  compact  mass, 
will  look  rich,  and  the  gre'ater  part  will  have  passed  from  a 
blue  to  a  copper  colour.  Tlie  indigo,  when  raked  up,  will 
show  in  the  liquor  in  clouds;  its  appearance  will  be  a  rich 
yellow-olive,  clouded  with  indigo.  When  the  vat  assumes  all 
these  appearances,  it  is  said  to  be  in  fine  condition,  and  every 
thing  will  have  gone  on  in  regular  order ;  but  as  it  often  hap- 
pens, that  a  vat  does  not  come  on  in  the  regular  way,  the  vat- 
man  must  be  attentive  to  appearances,  when  he  stirs  the  first 
morning  after  setting.  If  the  bubbles  and  head  are  at  that 
time  weak  and  Watery,  and  the  liquor  shows  no  copper  scales 
on  the  surface,  and  appears  of  the  same  colour  as  when  stirred 
the  evening  before,  something  must  be  added  to  accelerate 
the  fermentation,  and  it  is  usual  to  add  bran  and  madder.  It 
'vill  seldom  happen  that  a  vat  is  delayed  in  coming  to  work, 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  73 

unless  the  fermentative  quality  of  the  woad  has  been  injured 
in  making.  This,  however,  is  not  the  only  cause  that  may 
occur  to  check  tlie  fermentation,  although  it  may  be  the  most 
prominent  one.  The  fermentation  may  be  delayed  by  an 
inexperienced  workman,  by  either  scalding  the  woad,  by 
pouring  on  the  water  too  hot  when  set ;  by  having  the  water 
too  cold  when  set ;  or  by  permitting  it  to  cool  too  rapidly 
after  setting.  These  errors  ought  never  to  be  committed  by 
an  experienced  workman. 

I  have  directed  that  from  eight  to  ten  quarter-pecks  of 
dry-slacked  lime  be  used,  when  a  vat  is  set  with  five  hundred 
pounds  of  woad;  but  as  the  quantity  required,  will  altogether 
depend  on  the  strength  of  the  woad,  as  well  as  on  that  of  the 
lime,  tiiere  can  be  no  absolute  rule  given.  I  have  found,  how- 
ever, that  the  Rhode-Island,  Dexter  lime,  is  of  equal  strength 
with  the  English  Cromwell,  being  that  which  is  used  for  this 
purpose  in  the  west  of  England ;  and  I  would  recommend  those 
who  attempt  the  woad  vat  to  use  that  lime,  provided  they 
should  follow  these  directions. 

There  is  probably  no  article  more  uncertain  in  its  strength 
and  quality  than  woad.  The  principal  object  to  be  attended 
to  in  the  purchase  of  woad,  is  to  procure  it  of  the  strongest 
kind,  and  to  take  care  that  the  supply  be  uniformly  of  the 
same  strength ;  for  any  considerable  variation  in  this  par- 
ticular, will  prove  very  disastrous  to  the  operator,  however 
skilful  he  may  be  in  his  profession,  and  will  be  altogether 
ruinous  to  a  young  beginner.  Woad  is  often  injured  in  the 
making,  by  being  overfermented,  and  such  woad  will  never 
work  well.  Sometimes  the  plant  is  not  sufficiently  fei'mented, 
in  which  case  it  ferments  too  freely  in  the  vat,  but  this  is  an 
evil  that  may  be  cured,  provided  the  workman  has  sufficient 
judgment  to  know  how  much  it  falls  short  of  the  due  fermen- 
tation, and  how  to  keep  it  in  check. 

A  dyer,  at  all  conversant  with  the  woad  vat,  may,  taking 
prime  woad  and  following  my  instructions,  bring  it  into  good 
work,  and  produce  colours  equal  to  the  English ;  but  should 
they  take  woad  at  hazard,  no  certain  rule  can  be  given.  I 
have  seen  at  one  dj'e-house  in  this  country,  four  kinds  of 
woad  in  different  states  of  preparation.  The  workman  was 
a  European,  and  appeared  to  be  very  skilful  in  his  profes- 
sion;  but  he  complained  very  justly,  that  his  vats  worked 
irregularly,  owing  to  the  great  difference  in  the  quality  of 

7 


74  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

the  woad.  The  owners  of  factories  may  rest  assured,  that 
their  woad  dying  will  never  equal  the  English,  until  they  pro- 
cure woad  that  shall  be  nearly  equal  in  strength  and  condition. 

When  the  vat  has  been  brought  to  work,  as  before  directed, 
a  cross  is  suspended  in  it,  on  which  the  net  will  have  to  rest. 
About  forty  pounds  of  wool  is  dyed  at  once.  The  wool  must 
be  thoroughly  cleansed  from  the  grease  and  yolk,  and  well 
shaken  on  the  floor  close  to  the  vat  before  it  is  entered.  One 
man  should  strew  it  over  the  top  of  the  liquor,  and  another  put 
it  under  with  a  vat  stick  ;  when  it  is  all  in,  it  must  be  handled 
very  briskly  the  whole  time,  when  the  vat  is  new  and  strong 
of  indigo,  or  the  colour  will  be  uneven ;  when  a  liquor  has 
been  worked  some  time,  and  the  strength  of  the  vat  lowered, 
the  wool  need  not  be  handled  more  than  one-third  of  the 
time.  In  a  new  strong  liquor,  such  as  I  have  given  directions 
for  setting,  the  wool  should  not  be  permitted  to  remain  for 
more  than  half  an  hour,  when  it  will  have  to  be  wrung  out 
at  three  wringings,  which  should  be  performed  as  quick  as 
possible,  and  wrung  very  dry.  As  soon  as  the  workmen 
throw  one  lot  out  of  the  wringing  cloth,  another  person  should 
immediately  shake  it  up,  so  that  the  air  may  have  access  to 
all  parts  of  the  wool,  and  then  reshake  it  into  a  heap  ;  as  soon 
as  the  whole  is  out  of  the  vat,  let  the  heap  be  again  shaken 
until  the  wool  is  nearly  cold.  It  must  be  noticed  that  a  woad 
vat  should  never  .be  worked  at  more  than  125°,  and  when 
new  at  no  higher  temperature  than  115^  Fahrenheit. 

In  dying  with  woad,  there  sliould  always  be  two  vats  in 
operation  at  the  same  time ;  one  that  has  been  worked  for 
one  or  two  months,  and  a  new  vat.  The  wool  to  be  coloured, 
should  be  primed  in  the  new  vat,  and  finished  in  the  older  one. 

A  vat  that  is  set  v/ith  five  hundred  pounds  of  strong  woad, 
will  require  five  hundred  more  during  the  working,  and  this, 
in  all  regular  dying  establishments  where  constant  work  is 
required,  will  colour  for  six  months;  in  which  time  it  will 
take  about  five  hundred  pounds  of  indigo.  The  workman- 
ship, after  the  first  setting,  to  be  managed  as  follows :  dip 
two  or  three  wets,  of  forty  pounds  each,  into  the  vat  after  it 
has  been  brought  to  work  at  night ;  after  the  last  dip,  stir  well, 
and  if  the  liquor  is  cooled  below  the  proper  standard,  put  the 
fire  on  and  bring  it  up  to  125°,  not  exceeding  130''  Fahren- 
heit, stir  again  at  nine  in  the  evening,  and  put  in  two  quarter- 
pecks  of  lime,  striking  measure.     The  day  following,  the 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  75 

same  wets  may  be  redipped,  when  they  will  be  of  a  pretty  full 
colour — bring  the  heat  up  as  the  night  before,  after  stirring, 
and  when  the  vat  is  stirred  at  nine  o'clock,  give  it  one  quarter- 
peck  of  lime.  The  day  following,  the  vat  must  be  renewed. 
First  bring  the  heat  up  to  155°,  not  above  165°  Fahrenheit ; 
when  brought  to  the  requisite  heat,  put  in  half  a  hundred  of 
woad,  chopped  fine  as  before,  half  a  peck  of  bran,  four  pounds 
of  madder,  and  twelve  pounds  of  indigo,  well  ground ;  stir  well 
after  these  things  are  added,  and  again  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  evening.  The  next  morning  it  should  be  yellow  in  the 
liquor,  have  a  thick  copper  scum  on  the  surface,  and  the  bead 
of  a  fine  purple  and  very  rich.  Stir  again  at  five  o'clock 
the  following  morning,  which  repeat  at  noon  and  again  in  the 
evening ;  at  the  last  stirring,  add  two  quarter-pecks  of  lime. 
It  will  now  bear  working  and  replenishing  regularly.  When 
constantly  working,  it  will,  so  long  as  woad  is  added,  require 
two  quarter-pecks  of  lime  after  each  replenishing,  and  from 
two  to  three  during  each  period  of  working.  The  reheatings 
should  be  done  in  the  after  part  of  the  day,  and  the  liquor,  if 
every  thing  goes  on  regular,  will  be  fit  to  work  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  second  day  afterward.  It  is  usual,  in  all  regular 
dye-houses,  to  reheat  the  vats  on  Saturdays  in  the  afternoon, 
and  again  on  Wednesdays.  For  the  first  ten  reheatings, 
there  is  added  at  each,  half  a  hundred  of  woad,  which  makes 
ten  hundred  for  the  whole  of  one  liquor.  Twelve  pounds  of 
indigo  are  also  added  for  each  of  thirty-nine  reheatings. 

A  woad  vat  is  liable  to  be  out  of  order  from  two  causes  : 
from  the  lime  being  added  in  too  great  or  two  small  a  quantity, 
and  although  the  causes  of  these  defects  are  directly  oppo- 
site, yet  the  first  symptoms  of  the  two  extremes  bear  so 
striking  a  similarity,  that  it  requires  considerable  practical 
skill  to  judge  from  which  of  the  two  it  arises,  and  herein  con- 
sists the  whole  difficulty  of  the  business.  It  is  altogether  a 
fermentative  process,  and  there  is  but  little  doubt  that  the 
fermentation  is  of  that  kind  which  has  been  termed  by  modern 
chymists  the  panary.  It  is  necessary  to  keep  the  fermenta- 
tion of  the  vat  always  in  one  state,  and  this  is  regulated  by 
quicklime.  If  too  much  lime  is  added,  the  fermentation  will 
cease  ;  the  air-bubbles,  instead  of  forming  a  rich  purple  bead, 
will  look  white,  and  burst  with  a  hissing  noise,  and  the  liquor 
will  feel  slippery  when  rubbed  between  the  fingers.  \\'hen. 
ever  a  skilful  workman  perceives  this  coming  on,  he  will 


76  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

stop  work  until  the  liquor  is  brought  back  to  a  healthful  state. 
The  safest  way  of  doing  this  is,  to  put  into  a  hempen  bag  ,of 
coarse  texture,  one  or  two  pecks  of  bran,  (according  as  the 
vat  is  more  or  less  overlimed,)  and  add  an  iron  weight  of  about 
fourteen  pounds,  to  sink  the  bag.  The  bag  being  tied  up,  is 
put  into  the  vat,  and  the  covers  taken  off  to  let  the  liquor  cool 
to  about  110°  ;  in  two  or  three  days,  and  sometimes  sooner, 
if  the  vat  is  not  much  overlimed,  the  bag  will  rise  to  the  top 
of  the  liquor,  and  give  out  a  sour  fetid  smell.  The  liquor 
should  now  be  examined,  and  if  it  has  recovered  its  fine  green 
colour,  smells  of  the  woad,  and  feels  rough,  the  bag  should 
be  taken  out  and  put  on  a  plank  over  the  vat,  until  it  has 
drained  so  as  not  to  drip.  The  vat  should  now  be  covered 
down,  and  the  heat  of  the  liquor  raised  to  140°  Fahrenheit. 
Let  it  be  well  stirred  as  soon  as  the  heat  is  up,  and  if  it  does 
not  show  the  usual  appearances  of  a  good  liquor,  add  to  it 
two  or  three  buckets  of  swill  till  it  comes  round.  It  will  be 
necessary  to  watch  it  carefully  as  soon  as  it  comes  to  a  proper 
state  of  fermentation  ;  for  the  means  that  have  been  used  to 
force  it,  will  continue  to  operate  so  powerfully  that,  unless 
the  excess  of  fermentation  be  timely  checked  by  giving  it 
lime,  the  whole  contents  of  the  vat  will  be  irrecoverably  lost. 

When  a  woad  vat  is  out  of  order,  for  want  of  lime,  the 
bubbles  that  rise  will  also  be  white,  and  will  fall  with  a  hissing 
noise  as  before,  but  the  colour  and  feeling  will  be  different.  The 
colour,  when  overlimed,  will  be  of  a  light  dirty-lOoking  yel- 
low ;  when  underlimed,  of  a  bluish  green,  in  the  first  stages 
of  falling  off;  and  instead  of  being  smooth,  will  feel  rough 
when  rubbed  between  the  fingers.  When  it  goes  off  from 
this  cause,  as  much  lime  should  be  added  as  will  bring  it  back 
to  a  healtliful  state,  and  the  liquor  should  be  heated  to  150°  or 
160°  Fahrenheit.  On  adding  the  lime,  put  in  a  bucket  of  swill 
to  revive  the  panary  fermentation,  which  will  have  been  in- 
jured by  having  gone  too  far.  A  vat,  set  with  a  full  quantity 
of  strong  woad,  will  ever  be  liable  to  get  out  of  order  ;  but  this 
will  be  mostly  prevented  by  a  skilful  workman,  ^irovided  he 
pays  proper  attention  to  tlie  working  of  the  liquor  during  the 
day,  and  gives  it  a  critical  inspection  when  stirred  in  the 
evening. 

A  vat  of  liquor  that  has  been  overlimed,  even  to  a  great 
ejccess,  may  be  brought  back  to  a  healthful  state  by  cooling 
it  down,  and  putting  in  bran  bags,  if  care  be  taken  to  stop 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  77 

the  fermentation  with  lime  when  it  comes  too  again ;  but  when 
a  vat  is  out  of  order,  from  not  having  been  sufficiently 
supplied  with  lime,  and  this  has  been  permitted,  either  from 
neglect  or  want  of  skill,  to  procee^i  to  an  extreme  deficiency, 
the  fermentation  will  come  on  so  rapidly  and  in  so  sudden  a 
manner,  that  in  a  few  hours  the  bottom  will  swim  on  the  top, 
and  give  out  a  strong  fetid  odour,  a  putrefactive  fermentation 
having  taken  place.  When  this  occurs,  the  contents  of  the 
vat  are  lost,  and  all  attempts  to  revive  it  will  be  only  incur- 
ring expense,  without  the  least  prospect  of  succes§.  But  such 
extreme  cases  can  never  occur  where  the  workmen  have  had 
due  practice,  and  are  ut  all  attentive  to  their  business. 

Tlie  vegetable  ferments  I  have  recommended  to  be  used 
in  a  vat  are,  bran,  Cornell,  madder,  malt,  and  hops ;  but  the 
materials  that  may  be  used^include  all  the  ferments  that  are 
promotive  of  the  panary  fermentation,  such  as  malt  dust, 
distillers'  swill,  beer  grounds,  yeast,  hay,  and  ground  grain 
of  all  kinds.  It  is  useless,  however,  for  a  dyer  to  use  too 
many,  and,  in  fact,  Cornell  and  madder  will  answer  every 
purpose. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  recapitulate  what  has  been  said, 
relative  to  the  working  of  a  woad  vat,  when  every  thing 
goes  on  in  a  regular  way. 

It  is  difficult  to  give  directions  by  which  a  vat  of  this  kind 
may  be  worked  regularly,  as  any  little  variation  in  the 
strength  of  the  woad,  or  of  the  lime,  will  prevent  it.  The 
judgment  of  the  vat-man  must,  therefore,  be  exercised  on  all 
occasions,  and  lime  and  ferments  added,  according  to  the 
situation  of  the  liquor.  The  nearest  rule  that  can  be  given 
is  the  following  :  ^ 

A  vat,  as  I  have  before  stated,  that  is  set  with  five  hundred 
pounds  of  strong  woad,  will  take  ten  quarter-pecks  of  lime ;  by 
the  time  it  is  brought  to  work,  after  working  the  first  day,  it 
will  require  two  quarters ;  and  after  the  second  day's  working, 
one  (|uarter-peck.  It  has  then  to  be  renewed,  by  adding 
1  welve  pounds  of  indigo,^fty-six  pounds  of  woad,  three  pounds 
of  madder,  and  one  gallon  of  wheat  bran,  the  heat  being 
brought  up  to  150°  Fahrenheit,  before  the  ingredients  are 
added.  The  vat  to  be  well  stirred  after  the  materials  are  put 
in,  and  again  at  nine  o'clock  the  same  evening,  also,  three 
or  four  times  during  the  following  day ;  at  the  last  stirring, 
if  the  state  of  the  vat  should  not  require  it  sooner,  add  two 


78  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

quarter-pecks  of  lime,  also  two  after  the  first  day's  working, 
and  one  after  the  second  day's.  These  directions  are  to  be 
followed  daring  every  renewal,  so  long  as  woad  is  added ; 
but  afterward,  when  only  iftdigo  and  ferments  are  put  in,  one 
quarter-peck  after  I'enewing,  one  quarter  the  first  night  after 
working,  and  half  a  one  the  second  night.  When  neither 
indigo  nor  woad  is  put  in,  that  is,  while  the  vat  is  working 
down,  a  still  smaller  quantity  is  requisite. 

When  cloth  has  been  coloured  in  the  v/oad  vat,  it  is  first 
to  be  well  scoured  with  fullers-earth,  and  then  to  be  boiled 
one  hour,  with  one  and  a  half  pounds  of  cudbear  for  each  end 
of  twenty  yards  of  broadcloth.  The  liquor  being  cooled 
down,  the  cloth  is  to  be  wound  upon  the  reel,  and  left  to 
drain ;  the  workmen  then  throw  it  on  a  handbarrow,  and 
carry  it  to  the  vat,  on  which  they  lay  the  barrow;  the  cloth 
is  lifted  by  the  men  into  the  liquor,  one  fold  at  a  time,  open 
and  square,  and  a  third  person  takes  it  in  with  two  light 
sticks.  In  doiiig  this,  he  must  be  careful  not  to  let  any  air 
go  down  with  the  cloth.  When  the  whole  is  taken  in,  it 
lies  on  the  cross  at  one  side  of  the  vat,  and  the  person  who 
took  it  in,  works  it  from  side  to  side  with  a  pair  of  hawks 
during  thirty  or  fitly  minutes,  according  to  the  depth  of  the 
colour  wanted,  and  the  strength  of  the  vat.  The  hawks  are 
made  of  iron,  with  sockets,  which  are  placed  on  wooden 
handles.,  about  eighteen  inches  long.  At  the  end  of  the 
sockets  are  iron  rowels  about  the  size  of  a  cent,  and  as  thick  ; 
the  rowels  are  notched,  and  with  these  the  cloth  is  worked 
backwards  and  forwards.  It  is  necessary  to  be  very  par. 
ticular  during  the  work,  that  no  air  be  admitted  under  the 
cloth,  €or  when  this  occurs  it  will  have  light-coloured  spots 
on  it.  The  hawker  must  have  much  practice  to  perform 
this  work  with  perfect  safety. 

It  often  occurs  in  England,  that  cloth  is  dyed  in  the  flannel 
before  it  is  fulled.  When  this  is  done,  it  must  be  well  scoured 
with  fullers-earth.  After  it  has  been  boiled,  the  lists  being 
previously  covered  with  webbing,  i1?  is  worked  in  the  vat 
after  the  same  manner  as  other  cloth.  When  it  has  been 
coloured  dark  enough,  it  is  well  washed,  scoured  again  with 
fullers-earth,  and  the  webbing  taken  off.  It  is  now  fitted 
for  fulling.  When  fulled  and  cut  to  furnace,  the  colour  is 
made  up  to  pattern  in  the  vat,  without  covering  the  lists  with 
webbing.     If  yellow  list 'has  been  used,  its  colour  will  be  a 


RECIPES.  79 


lively  greon  when  finislicd,  and  it  will  require  a  good  judge 
to  distinguish  the  clotli  from  wool-dyed. 


To  dye  Prussian-hlue  on  xvoollens. 

Prepare  the  cloth  by  passing  it  through  lime-water,  at  a 
gentle  boiling  heat.  Wash  well,  cuttle  up,  and  let  lie  till 
wanted. 

Prepare  a  fiesh  liquor,  with  one  ounce  of  prussiate  of  potash 
to  eacli  pound  of  cloth.  The  same  proportions  may  be  used 
for  yarns.  Boil  gently  for  ten  minutes,  wind  up,  and  let 
drain  on  the  reel. 

Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  using  one  ounce  of  nitrate  of  iron 
to  each  pound  of  cloth,  or  yarn.  This  will  give  about  a  half- 
blue,  and  if  required  darker,  use  more  nitrate  of  iron.  Wind 
up  and  let  drain. 

It  has  then  to  be  run  through  a  third  liquor,  in  which  has 
been  dissolved  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  what  is  called  the 
mordant,  to  each  pound  of  cloth,  or  yarn.  .  This  is  to  make 
the  colour  even,  and  to  give  a  bright  clear  lustre.  There 
should  be  at  least  one  gallon  of  water  to  every  ounce  of 
mordant.  The  temperature  of  the  liquor  should  not  exceed 
two  hundred  degrees.  Turn  the  cloth  in  this  rapidly  for  ten 
minutes,  M'ash  well  in  clear  water,  and  tenter  as  quick  as 
possible. 


To  make  the  Mordant. 

Take  any  quantity  of  oil  of  vitriol,  and  mix  it  with  its 
weight  of  water.  When  the  mixture  becomes  cool, -add  as 
much  potash  as  it  will  take.  This  compound  is  called  sale- 
nixen.  To  every  twenty  pounds  of  the  above,  add  one  pound 
of  argol,  and  the  same  quantity  of  spirits  of  salt,  diluted  with 
half  water.  It  would  not  be  worth  while  for  our  dyers  to 
make  the  salenixen,  as  it  can  be  bought  much  cheaper  than 
they  can  make  it  by  a  direct  process. 

This  mordant  operates  more  beneficially,  if  small  portions 
of  sulphate  of  zinc  are  added  to  it,  as  the  colour  will  be  deeper 
and  richer. 

The  above  recipe  was  received  from  England  a  few  months 
since,  but  is  evidently  defective.  I  would  recommend  the 
nitrate  of  iron  to  be  put  on  the  goods  before  the  prussiate  of 


80  RECIPES. 


potash ;  and  before  running  them  through  the  prussiate  liquor, 
that  they  be  dipped  in  asokition  of  chloride  of  lime,  using  two 
pounds  to  seventy  gallons  of  water.  The  remainder  of  the 
process  may  be  continued  as  directed. 


Mecipes  for  dying  blue  in  the  furnace. 

This  is  often  done  for  very  common  purposes,  but  never 
on  any  thing  like  fine  goods,  unless  intended  for  deception. 
The  following  is  the  best  recipe  I  have  known  for  dying  blue 
in  the  furnace  ;  it  is  intended  for  twenty-eight  pounds  of  stuif. 
Use  three  pounds  of  alum,  two  pounds  of  cream  of  tartar, 
two  pounds  of  muriate  of  tin,  and  two  pounds  and  a  half  of 
logwood.  ^ 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour;  heave  in  the  cloth,  and  boil  it  one 
hour.  When  this  has  been  done,  throw  away  two-thirds  of 
the  liquor,  and  fill  up  with  water ;  bring  the  furnace  to  a 
boil,  and  put  into  it  one  pound  and  three-quarters  of  chymic; 
let  the  liquor  boij,  after  the  chymic  is  in  for  fourteen  minutes, 
cool  down,  enter  the  goods,  and  let  them  boil  till  of  the  colour 
wanted.  This  colour  was  of  a  beautiful  dark  blue,  and  stood 
exposure  to  the  weather  for  more  than  a  month,  before  any 
sensible  change  took  place,  but  in  another  month  some  parts 
of  it. were  changed. 

A  blue  may  be  made  with  logwood,  by  previously  boiling 
the  woollens  to  be  dyed  in  copperas  and  blue  vitriol ;  but  this 
is  so  wretched  a  colour,  and  so  very  fugitive,  that  it  would 
be  unworthy  of  a  place  in  a  work  professing  to  give  instruc- 
tions  for  dying  of  cloth.  The  process  may  be  found  in 
almost  all  the  works  on  small  dying. 


Recipe  for  colouring  a  full  navy-blue,  for  mixing  for  satinett, 
or  other  coarse  tcork.  It  is  for  eighty  piounds  of  scoured 
wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  twelve  pounds  of  alum,  and  three  poundsf 
and  a  half  of  argol.  Boil  these  one  hour,  cool  down,  heave 
in  the  wool,  and  boil  two  hours  and  a  half;  let  lie  in  all 
night.  Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  in  which  boil  eighteen  pounds 
of  logwood,  and  five  pounds  of  peachwood.  Boil  the  wares 
two  hours,  then  the  goods  two  hours  and  a  half,  and  let  lia 
al!  night — wash  and'dry, 


RECIPES.  81 

To  dye  blue  on  cotton. 

The  common  indigo  vat,  for  dying  blue  on  cotton,  is  well 
known  in  this  country.  I  shall  give  directions  for  setting 
this  vat,  and  then  give  directions  for  dying  Prussian-blue  on 
cotton. 

A  vat  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  gallons  is  nearly  filled 
with  soft  water,  into  which  put  four  pounds  of  the  best  indigo, 
well  ground ;  to  each  pound  of  indigo  add  two  pounds  of 
green  copperas,  and  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  dry-slacked 
lime.  Add  the  ingredients  in  succession,  as  they  have  been 
mentioned,  stir  them  together  for  half  an  hour,  and  cover 
down ;  then  stir  frequently,  and  on  the  second  or  third  day 
it  will  be  fit  for  use.  Some  persons  add  a  little  potash,  about 
half  a  pound  to  the  quantity  mentioned,  but  most  dyers  leave 
it  out. 


To  dye  blue  on  silk. 
To  prepare  the  silk  for  receiving  the  dye,  take  twenty 
pounds  of  silk,  and  boil  it  in  a  liquor  with  seven  pounds  of 
white  soap,  until  the  silk  becomes  white.  Stick  up,  make  a 
lather  of  ^v■Xlrm  soap  liquor  that  is  blued  with  indigo,  give  it 
a  few  turns  in  this,  wring  out,  dry,  and  stick  up.  There 
should  be  three  hanks  on  each  string,  and  two  strings  are 
sufficient  for  one  stick.  It  is  now  fit  for  dying,  which  must 
be  done  in  the  ash  vat,  to  the  pattern  wanted. 


To  dye  cotton  and  silk  a  Prussian-blue. 
Steep  the  yarn  or  cloth  in  a  tub  filled  two-thirds  with 
water,  put  therein  twenty  pounds  of  the  nitrate  of  iron,  or  in 
proportion  to  the  shade  of  blue  that  is  wanted,  or  the  pounds 
of  stuff  to  be  dyed  ;  try  two  waters  to  one  of  the  liquor ;  if  too 
strong  a  shade  is  produced,  add  more  water,  or  the  reverse, 
steep  well  therein,  wring  out,  and  dry  ;  then  have  a  tub  of 
water,  say  to  hold  four  gallons,  put  therein  two  pounds  of 
prussiate  of  potash,  which  dissolve ;  add  thereto  a  pound  or 
so  of  oil  of  vitriol.  Before  running  the  goods  through  the 
prussiate  of  potash  liquor,  run  tliem  through  a  solution  of 
chloride  of  lime,  prepared  as  follows : — Stir  two  pounds  of 
chloride  of  lime  into  four  gallons  of  water,  let  stand  to  settle, 
and  pour  the  clear  liquor  into  one  hogshead  of  water,  through 


83  RECIPES. 

which  run  the  goods ;  then  run  them  through  the  prussiate 
Hquor,  when  they  will  assume  the  blue  shade,  hght  or  dark, 
as  may  be  wanted ;  these  shades,  however,  must  be  regulated 
by  using  more  or  less  of  the  nitrate  of  iron. 

The  French  writers  recommend  two-thirds  of  nitrate  of 
iron,  and  one-third  copperas,  in  preference  to  using  all  nitrate 
of  iron. 

After  the  colour  has  been  obtained,  it  may  be  raised  two 
or  three  shades,  by  running  it  through  a  weak  solution  of 
water,  slightly  impregnated  with  ammonia. 


To  dye  silk  a  sapphire-Mue. 
Wash  the  silk  out  of  the  suds,  after  the  boiling  process, 
as  described  for  the  first  blue  on  silk,  pump  a  bath  of  cold 
spring-water,  put  into  it  a  ladle  of  alum  liquor,  (being  from 
four  to  five  quarts,)  prepare  half  a  pint  of  sulphate  of  indigo, 
or  what  is  usually  called  chymic,  of  which  add  to  the  water 
as  much  as  may  be  wanted  to  produce  the  intended  colour ; 
and  as  the  silk  will  be  of  the  colour  of  the  liquor,  there  will 
be  no  difficulty  in  the  operation.  Colours  may  be  dyed  in 
this  way  from  a  pale  to  a  dark  sky-blue. 


To  dye  silk  a  mazarine-blue. 
For  this  colour,  the  silk  must  be  prepared  by  boiling  it  in 
black  soap,  wash  out  of  the  suds,  and  stick  up.  The  colour 
has  to  be  filled  up  with  cudbear.  Make  a  strong  decoction 
of  this  by  boiling  it  one  hour,  and  strain  the  clear  liquor 
through  a  sieve  into  a  back.  The  silk  has  to  be  well  worked 
in  the  cudbear  liquor  for  a  considerable  time ;  wring  out, 
head  it  off*  in  seven  or  eight  knots,  and  heave  it  into  the  blue 
vat  till  of  the  colour  wanted.  Wring  out,  wash  well,  run  it 
through  a  strong  soap  lather,  wring  out,  and  dry. 


To  make  soap.lees  for  producing  the  lather. 
Take  lumps  of  lime,  that  is  strong  and  has  been  recently 
taken  from  the  kiln,  put  a  quantity  into  a  large  butt,  pour 
on  boiling  water,  stir  well,  and  let  it  stand  a  week.  Make 
use  of  this  liquor  to  produce  a  lather,  with  soap  that  is  used 
for  finishing  the  silk  ;  it  must  always  be  used  cold.     When- 


RECIPES.  83 

ever  directions  are  given  for  using  a  lather,  after  silk  is  dyed, 
it  always  refers  to  that  which  is  here  mentioned. 


PrussianMue,  by  Mons.  Raymond. 
Previous  to  the  year  1811,  the  silks  dyed  blue  were  dull ; 
but,  in  that  year,  M.  Raymond  invented  a  method  of  giving 
silk  a  deep  and  brilliant  colour,  which  is  now  generally 
adopted,  and  is  known  by  his  name.  Process  as  follows  : — 
AVheii  the  silk  has  been  cleansed,  immerse  it  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  in  water  containing  about  one-twentieth  part  of* 
its  weight  of  the  sulphate  of  the  peroxyde  of  iron,  at  the  ordi- 
nary temperature,  wash,  and  hold  it  for  half  an  hour  in  a  bath, 
nearly  boiling,  of  soap  and  water ;  wash  it  again,  and  put  it 
in  a  cold  and  very  weak  solution  of  prussiate  of  potash, 
soured  by  sulphuric  acid,  or  by  muriatic  acid.  As  soon  as 
it  is  immersed  it  becomes  blue,  and  nothing  more  is  wanting, 
han,  in  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  to  wash  and  dry  it. 


A  handsome  Turkish-blue,  for  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  alum,  two  ounces  and  a 
half  of  cochineal,  half  a  pound  of  composition,  three-quarters 
of  an  ounce  of  indigo,  and  three  ounces  of  oil  of  vitriol. 

The  silk,  after  being  boiled  in  soap  and  water,  must  be 
rinsed  in  running  water,  and  then  wrung  and  well  beaten. 
This  being  done,  it  must  be  coloured  to  a  handsome  light- 
blue,  in  a  cold  or  warm  vat,  then  rinse  it  in  running  water, 
wring  and  dry  it. 

As  soon  as  the  silk  has  become  properly  dry,  it  must  be 
moistened  in  warm  water,  wrung  out,  and  laid  by  wet,  for  fur- 
ther use. 

Dissolve  in  a  kettle,  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  one  and 
a  quarter  pounds  of  alum,  pour  the  solution  into  a  vat,  steep 
the  silk  in  it,  and  work  it  well  therein  for  the  space  of  an 
hour ;  take  it  out,  wring,  and  lay  it  aside  in  its  wet  state,  for 
further  use. 

Lastly,  boil  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  and  put 
into  it  two  and  a  half  ounces  of  cochineal ;  let  it  boil  for  about 
ten  minutes  ;  cool  the  liquor  with  a  bucket  of  water,  and  add 
half  a  pound  of  the  solution  of  tin,  and  three-quarters  of  an 
ounce  of  indigo,  which  has  been  previously  dissolved  in  three 


84  RECIPES. 

ounces  of  oil  of  vitriol,  and  stii*  the  whole  well.  Immerse 
the  silk-coloured  blue  in  this  liquor,  work  it  well  therein  until 
the  liquor  begins  to  boil,  let  it  boil  one  hour,  working  the 
silk  continually ;  it  must  then  be  taken  out,  rinsed,  wrung, 
and  dried. 

If  you  desire  the  blue  to  incline  more  to  a  red,  increase 
the  quantity  of  cochineal  ;  if  the  contrary,  take  less. 


Best  ultra-marine  Hue,  for  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  filings  of  copper,  free  from  all  alloy  of  other  metals  ; 
it  is  best,  therefore,  to  rasp  or  file  them  yourself,  in  order  to 
obtain  them  pure.  Put  these  into  a  glass  vessel,  pour  spirits 
of  salt  sufficient  to  cover  them  twice  as  deep  as  the  space 
they  occupy,  and  let  them  stand  for  twenty-four  hours,  or  as 
long  as  necessary  for  the  spirits  to  attain  a  blue  or  deep  green 
colour. 

Then  pour  off"  the  clear  part  of  the  coloured  spirits  of 
salt  into  another  glass  vessel,  add  fresh  spirits  of  salt  to  tlie 
copper  filings,  and  continue  this  process  until  the  whole  are 
dissolved,  when  nothing  but  the  earthy  and  impure  parts  will 
remain. 

Mix  all  these  coloured  solutions  of  copper,  and  add  thereto 
as  much  spirits  of  ammonia  as  will  be  necessary  to  saturate 
the  mixture. 

Then  moisten  the  silk  in  warm  water,  so  that  all  parts  are 
completely  and  equally  soaked  ;  then  wring  it,  and  steep  it  in 
the  blue  tincture  prepared  as  above  directed  ;  work  it  therein 
until  it  has  attained  a  handsome  ultra-marine  colour ;  then 
take  it  out,  wring  it  well,  rinse  in  a  stream,  and  dry  it  in  the 
shade. 

With  the  liquor  which  remains,  you  may  colour  many 
other  agreeable  blue  colours ;  but  you  must  add,  at  every 
colouring,  a  small  quantity  of  spirits  of  ammonia. 

A  dark  blue  for  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  indigo,  three-quarters  of  a 
pound  of  vitriol,  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  alum,  four  pounds 
of  logwood,  and  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum. 

The  greatest  attention  and  accuracy  in  the  process  of 
dying  this  colour  is  necessary. 


RECIPES.  85 

Mix  the  oil  of  vitriol  and  indigo  as  usual,  set  it  by  for 
twenty-four  hours,  and  tlien  stir  a  little  water  in  to  revive 
the  action.  After  this,  prepare  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets 
of  water,  put  into  it  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  alum,  and 
dissolve  it  completely  therein.  This  being  done,  pour  the 
solution  into  a  vat,  steep  the  silk  in  the  solution,  and  work 
it  well  therein  for  an  hour  ;  after  which,  take  it  out,  wring, 
and  lay  it  by  wet,  for  further  use. 

Put  eight  buckets  of  water  into  a  kettle,  pour  the  solution 
of  indigo  into  it,  and  mix  it  well  ;  work  the  silk  well  in  this 
liquor  for  the  space  of  half  an  hour,  then  take  it  out,  rinse 
it  in  running  water,  wring  and  lay  it  by  wet,  for  further  use. 
By  this  process,  the  silk  will  receive  a  handsome  light  blue 
colour. 

To  deepen  this  blue,  or  ca  change  it  to  a  dark  blue,  pro. 
ceed  in  the  following  manner:  boil  a  kettle  with  sixteen 
buckets  of  water,  add  four  pounds  of  logwood,  and  boil  it 
well  for  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour;  then  take  out  one- 
half  of  the  liquor,  and  run  it  through  a  sieve  into  a  vat;  let 
the  other  half  remain  in  the  kettle  for  further  use  ;  put  into 
the  liquor  in  the  vat,  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum,  which 
has  previously  been  dissolved  in  some  vessel ;  stir  the  whole 
well,  steep  the  light  blue  silk  in  it,  and  work  it  well  in  the 
liquor  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour ;  then  take  it  out,  wring  and 
Keep  it  wet  for  further  use,  and  throw  out  the  liquor  as  useless. 

Lastly:  pour  into  another  vat  the  remaining  eight  buckets 
of  the  logwood  liquor  left  in  the  kettle,  after  having  first  run 
it  through  a  sieve ;  steep  the  silk  in  the  liquor,  and  work  it 
well  therein  for  the  space  of  half  an  hour  ;  then  take  it  out, 
rinse  it  in  running  water,  wring  and  dry.  By  the  above 
process,  you  will  obtain  a  good  dark  blue,  sufficiently  durable. 


Recipes  for  colouring  red. 

Madder-reds  are  usually  put  on  woollens  after  they  have 
been  fulled,  as  the  soap  used  in  fulling  changes  the  red.  The 
cloths  dyed  madder-red  are  mostly  of  a  coarse  quality,  such 
as  flannels,  long  baize,  mocks  for  embossing,  and  army  cloths 
for  common  soldiers.  Since  the  general  introduction  of  the 
lac  dye,  most  of  the  reds  have  been  madei  with  it. 

I  shall  give  two  recipes  for  madder-reds,  one  for  a  piece 
of  flannel  and  another  for  a  baize  weighing  fifty-seven  pounds, 


86  RECIPES. 

and  it  will  be  easy  for  those  who  wish  to  dye  red,  to  add  or 
reduce  from  the  recipes,  according  to  the  weight  of  the  mate- 
rial they  may  want  to  colour. 

Dr.  Cooper  asserts,  in  his  work  on  dying,  page  156,  that 
"  the  solutions  of  tin  give  but  dead  colours  with  madder." 
This  assertion  of  the  Doctor's  is  very  strange,  for  no  madder- 
red  is  ever  dyed  in  England  without  the  cloth  being  prepared 
with  more  or  less  of  the  solution  of  tin,  and  it  is  well  known 
that  the  more  is  used  in  moderation,  the  better  the  colour 
will  be.  It  is  true,  the  tin  liquor  is  not  used  in  the  same 
liquor  with  the  madder,  but  unless  the  cloth  is  prepared  with 
this  material  before  dying,  the  colour  will  not  be  of  a  bright 
red,  but  rather  of  a  brick  colour. 


^,.  For  dying  a  jlannel  red. 

For  each  one,  use  in  the  boiling  or  preparation,  three 
pounds  of  alum,  one  pound  of  argol,  or  tartar,  and  half  a 
pound  of  tin  liquor. 

The  ingredients  are  put  into  the  water  when  it  is  boiling, 
and  the  goods  are  boiled  two  hours  and  a  half ;  when  taken 
out  they  should  be  thrown  until  they  are  as  cool  as  is  pleasant 
to  the  hands ;  they  are  then  to  be  thrown  into  narrow  folds, 
rolled  up  close  together,  then  wrapped  up  in  a  thick  coarse 
cloth,  and  left  throe  or  four  days,  or  until  they  become  quite 
sour  to  the  taste,  and  have  a  sour  smell.  A  fresh  liquor 
must  be  brought  on,  in  which  the  goods  are  to  be  finished. 
When  the  water  is  near  boiling,  a  gallon  or  two  of  bran  is 
to  be  thrown  in,  which  is  to  be  scummed  off  just  as  it  begins 
to  boil.  When  the  water  is  scummed  clean,  the  heat  must 
be  lowered  down  to  about  130°  Fahrenheit.  Let  the  madder 
now  be  put  in  and  well  stiired  througii  the  liquor ;  then  the 
cloth  must  be  rapidly  entered  and  kept  briskly  turning  over 
the  reel,  and  well  opened  all  the  time  it  is  working.  For  each 
flannel,  of  twelve  pounds  weight,  use  five  pounds  of  the  best 
crop  madder.  As  soon  as  the  cloth  is  in  the  furnace,  put  on 
the  fire  and  bring  the  liquor  to  a  spring  heat  in  two  hours,  or 
about  206°  Fahrenheit ;  then  draw  the  fire  and  let  the  liquor 
cool  down  again  for  half  an  hour  or  more,  when  the  colour 
will  be  finished.  »If  the  red  should  prove  too  yellow,  put  a 
small  quantity  of  urine  into  the  liquor,  run  the  cloth  again 
for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  and  it  will  be  red  enough.    Wheix 


RECIPES.  87 

the  cloth  is  taken  out  of  the  furnace,  rinse  it  well  in  clear 
water  till  clean,  and  dry  it  in  the  tenters  as  soon  afterward 
as  possible. 


To  dye  a  red  on  a  long  baize,  weighing  from  Jifty  to  sixty 
pounds. 

For  boiling,  use  ten  pounds  of  alum,  three  pounds  and  a 
half  of  fine  argol,  and  three  pounds  of  tin  liquor. 

Boil  the  ingredients  as  before  directed,  then  the  cloth  during 
two  hours  and  a  half,  wrap  up,  and  sour  as  before. 

For  finishing,  use  twenty-five  pounds  of  the  best  madder, 
and  proceed  as  for  flannels. 


Recipe  for  a  madder-red,  for  twenty  yards  of  broadcloth,  in 
which  the  tin  liquor  is  not  used. 

These  colours  are  of  a  dark  rich  red,  but  do  not  approach 
as  near  to  the  scarlet  as  either  of  the  others. 

For  the  boiling,  use  four  pounds  of  alum,  and  six  ounces  of 
cream  of  tartar.  Boil  the  wares  as  for  reds,  run  up,  heave  in 
the  cloth,  and  boil  it  for  two  hours  and  a  half — wrap  them  up, 
and  let  lay  to  sour. 

For  finishing,  bring  on  a  fresh  liquor,  and  use  to  each  yard 
nine  ounces  of  the  best  crop  madder.  The  cloth  should  be 
put  in  at  a  blood  heat,  and  well  reeled  for  six  hours  ;  by  this 
time  the  liquor  should  just  break  out  at  a  spring  heat,  the 
fire  then  be  drawn,  and  the  cloth  run  half  an  hour  afterward. 
Proceed  as  for  the  other  reds. 


To  dye  lac-reds  and  scarlets. 
In  the  year  1807,  I  was  requested  by  Doctor  Bancroft  to 
try  the  colouring  matter  of  the  coccus-lacca.  I  did  so,  and 
it  produced  as  fine  a  scarlet  as  any  now  produced  from  the 
same  material.  At  that  time,  there  was  no  lac-dye  extracted 
in  the  East  Indies  for  sale,  and  I  had  to  obtain  the  colouring 
matter  from  the  stick  lac,  which  proved  by  far  the  most 
troublesome  part  of  the  process.  Sometime  during  the  same 
year,  I  entered  a  caveat  for  a  patent ;  but  having  made  up 
my  mind  to  leave  England  for  this  country,  a  few  months 
afterward  I  communicated  the  secret  to  a  company's  dyer, 
and  never  pursued  the  patent. 


88  RECIPES. 

The  East  India  Company  soon  afterward  caused  consid- 
erable lac-dye  to  be  extracted  from  the  stick  lac  in  the  East 
indies,  and  to  be  sent  to  England  for  sale.  A  considerable 
quantity  was  imported,  but  being  precipitated  with  alum,  it 
was  found  to  be  insoluble,  except  by  the, addition  of  such 
quantities  of  alkali  as  rendered  it  unfit  for  the  red  or  scarlet 
dyes.  On  discovering  their  error,  the  company  sent  a 
chymist  to  the  Indies,  to  find  a  precipitant  for  the  colouring 
matter,  that  would  not  injure  its  solubility.  This  being  accom- 
plished, the  article  has  since  been  brought  into  general  use. 

Lac  is  probably  of  much  greater  value  than  cochineal,  in 
such  colours  as  red  and  scarlet,  as  it  may  be  made  equally 
brilliant  in  hue,  and  as  it  will  not  change  so  readily  when 
it  comes  in  contact  with  an  alkali.  It  is  usually  sold  at  such 
a  price  as  to  enable  the  dyer  to  make  a  scarlet  at  less  than 
half  the  price  he  can  obtain  it  from  cochineal.  In  fact,  the 
cost  of  dying  this  brilliant  scarlet  from  lac,  is  not  so  great  as 
that  from  madder  at  fifteen  cents  per  pound. 

In  giving  recipes  for  this  cheap  and  splendid  colour,  I 
shall  first  give  such  as  I  obtained  from  a  Scotchman,  and 
then  follow  them  up  by  such  as  I  consider,  from  my  own 
practice,  to  be  improvements. 

The  first  colour  that  is  dyed  in  a  fresh  liquor  is  never  so 
fine  as  the  second  and  following  colourings  ;  it  is  usual,  there- 
fore, to  make  the  first  with  half  the  materials  prescribed  for 
a  full  colour   and  to  make  it  up  afterwaixi  with  the  other  half. 


Scotch  recipe  for  dying  lac-scarlet. 
To  make  lac-spirits.  Take  one  measure  of  aquafortis 
duplex,  two  measures  of  muriatic  acid,  add  a  little  tin  till  it 
becomes  hot,  then  add  one  measure  of  water,  and  saturate 
with  tin,  that  is,  give  it  as  much  tin  as  it  will  take.  Then 
take  any  quantity  of  muriatic  acid,  and  dissolve  in  it  half  an 
ounce  of  tin  to  a  pound  of  acid. 


To  dye  twenty  pounds  of  cloth,  worsted,  or  yarn. 

If  the  lac  is  good  in  quality,  take  two  pounds  and  a  half, 

and  more  according  to  the  quality  of  the   lac.     Take  two 

pounds  of  each  of  the  above  solutions,  and  mix  with  the  lac 

in  a  stone-ware  dish.     Take  a  clean  copper,  or  tin  boiler, 


RECIPES.  89 

suited  to  the  quantity  of  goods,  fill  it  with  pure  water,  and 
add  a  pound  and  a  half  of  fine  argol,  or  cream  of  tartar  ;  steep 
one  pound  of  quercitron  bark  in  hot  water,  and  strain  into 
the  boiler  the  clear  liquor  ;  then  add  the  mixed  lac,  enter  the 
goods  and  boil  them  from  an  hour  and  a  half  to  two  hours — 
wash  Jnd  dry. 


Another  Scotch  recipe  for  making  lac-spirits. 

Take  twelve  pounds  of  aquafortis  duplex,  reduce  it  to 
single,  or  20*^  Baume,  add  two  pounds  of  spirits  of  salt,  and 
then  add  as  much  tin  as  will  bring  them  to  a  dark  amber 
colour.  It  generally  takes  from  two  ounces  and  a  half  to 
three  ounces  of  tin  to  a  pound  of  single  acid.  Add  the  tin 
slowly  so  as  not  to  raise  a  heat.  When  you  have  got  them 
to  the  colour,  add  sixteen  pounds  of  spirits  of  salt,  stir  them 
well,  and  they  are  ready  for  work.  Use  the  same  propor- 
tiouo  in  colouring  as  for  the  above  recipe,  and  observe  the 
same  process  in  dying.  ^ 

The  above  recipes  would  be  somewhat  dangerous  in  the 
hands  of  a  careless  dyer ;  for  when  the  compound  contains 
but  little  more  than  the  above  proportion  of  aquafortis,  or 
the  duplex  acid  should  be  a  little  stronger  than  the  prescribed 
standard,  the  tin  liquor  and  the  lac-dye  will  decompose  each 
other.  I  have  known  this  to  happen  frequently  with  those 
who  thought  themselves  to  be  skilful  dyers.  Aquafortis,  of 
a  given  strength,  will  always  decompose  animal  matter,  but 
spirits  of  salt  exerts  no  action  on  it ;  therefore  the  latter  is 
always  the  safest  to  use.  When  nitro-muriate  of  tin  is  pre- 
ferred,  I  would  recommend  the  dyer  using  it,  to  put  it  into  the 
liquor  with  the  argol,  or  cream  of  tartar,  and  add  the  lac 
afterward. 


William  Partridge'' s  recipe  for  dying  twenty  pounds  of  stuff 
a  lac-scarlet. 
Prepare  the  water  by  boiling  bran  in  it,  and  scumming 
off  after  the  same  manner  as  for  scarlet,  with  cochineal. 

Take  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  fine-ground  lac-dye,  of  good 
quality,  and  mix  it  witli  four  pounds  of  muriate  of  tin,  in  which 
the  acid  is  hi  considerable  excess.  Put  into  the  boiling 
liquor  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  fine-ground  argol,  or  creaii 

6* 


90  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

of  tartar,  add  the  mixed  lac,  enter  the  goods,  and  boil  forty- 
five  minutes,  wash  and  dry. 

From  six  to  eight  dyings  may  be  done  in  one  day  in  the 
same  liquor,  and  I  would  recommend  to  run  the  first  with 
half  the  materials,  then  to  make  a  full  colour  from  t^iis,  by 
using  the  other  half,  after  the  second  or  third  colouring. 

If  the  colour  should  prove  too  yellow,  that  is,  too  much 
approaching  an  orange  hue,  leave  out  a  portion  of  the  argol, 
or  cream  of  tartar,  and  the  colour  will  be  more  decidedly 
red,  and  this  as  the  argol  is  diminished. 


To  dye  red  ivith  mungeet,  on  Jifty  pounds  of  woollen. 

Prepare  the  goods  previously  with  a  little  black-oak  bark, 
ten  pounds  of  alum,  and  two  quarts  of  tin  liquor. 

The  next  day,  colour  with  mungeet  in  a  fresh  liquor,  using 
the  same  quantity  as  of  madder,  or  rather  less,  and  dye 
without  boiling.  This  colour  is  as  permanent  as  madder, 
and  superior  in  tint.  It  may  be  applied  to  cotton  as  well  as 
wool. 


An  improved  mode  of  preparing  woollen  goods  for  receiving 
lac-dye,  discovered  by  the  roriter  last  year. 

From  experiments  made  on  some  of  the  prepared  samples, 
I  am  led  to  conclude  that  the  same  preparation,  or  some 
modification  of  it,  may  be  usefully  applied  to  almost  all  the 
vegetable  dyes,  and  more  particularly  to  the  red. 

To  every  pound  of  woollen  yarn  or  cloth,  take  an  ounce 
of  chloride  of  lime,  and  one  ounce  of  sal-soda ;  pour  on  to 
the  two,  one  gallon  of  scalding  water,  stir  well,  and  let  it 
settle.  When  settled,  pour  the  clear  liquor  off,  and  throw 
it  into  a  furnace,  adding  more  water,  if  necessary,  to  make 
up  enough  to  boil  the  goods  in.  In  this,  boil  the  cloth  or 
yarn  for  ten  minutes,  and  lay  by  for  use.  It  is  better  to  dry 
the  liquor  in  the  cloth,  and  wash  before  dying ;  for  if  not 
washed,  the  colour  will  be  too  heavy. 

My  experiments  were  all  made  on  the  scale  of  forty  grains 
of  woollen  yarn,  and  if  the  benefit  to  be  derived  on  a  large 
scale  shall  bear  any  ])roportion  to  those  made  on  forty  grains, 
it  must  add  to  the  value  of  the  lac-dye  full  one-third.,  if  not 
one-half. 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  91 

To  dye  red  on  cotton. 

It  is  to  be  understood,  that  in  the  recipes  I  obtained  from 
Manchester,  for  dying  of  cotton,  there  will  usually  be  given 
two  for  producing  each  coioui- — the  first  will  be  for  the  best 
and  most  permanent  colour,  and  the  second  for  such  as  are 
common  and  cheap. 


Recipe  to  dye  a  fine  and  permanent  red  on  cotton,  in  which 
there  are  five  different  processes. 

First  Process.  After  the  cotton  has  been  well  boiled  and 
washed,  dry  and  divide  it  into  handfuls  of  half  a  pound  each  ; 
tie  a  string  round  each  parcel  loosely,  so  as  to  leave  room  for 
the  dye  to  penetrate  under  the  strings.  For  each  pound  of 
cotton,  take  four  ounces  of  well-pounded  nutgalls,  boil  them 
half  an  hour,  or  until  the  galls  are  soft,  and  for  every  pound 
of  cotton,  add  five  quarts  of  water.  Take  five  quarts  of  this 
liquor,  into  which  dip  a  pound  of  cotton,  until  thoroughly 
soaked  ;  repeat  the  operation  three  times,  then  put  the  cotton 
into  another  tub,  and  pour  the  gall  liquor  on  it — proceed  in 
the  same  way  with  every  pound  of  cotton,  until  all  is  done ; 
let  the  whole  lie  until  next  morning.  Then  wring  out  evenly, 
so  that  the  hanks  may  be  equally  pressed  in  all  parts,  then 
dry  it.  Warm  the  gall  liquor,  proceed  as  before,  and  let  the 
cotton  lie  in  anotlier  night,  wring  out  as  directed  after  the 
first  galling,  and  dry. 

Second  Process.  To  every  pound  of  cotton,  dissolve  half 
a  pound  of  fine-pounded  alum  in  five  quarts  of  water,  in  a 
copper  pan.  When  the  alum  is  dissolved,  add  to  every  pound 
of  it  two  ounces  of  pearlash — proceed  in  soaking  and  drying 
the  cotton  twice,  as  directed  for  galling  ;  with  this  difference, 
that  it  lie  in  the  alum  liquor  four  or  five  days.  Before  mad- 
dering,  put  one  pound  and  a  half  on  each  stick,  wash  it  quite 
clean  in  running  water,  and  wring  well. 

Third  Process.  Take  a  tub  large  enough  to  wash  the 
cotton  in,  fill  it  with  warm  water,  and  dissolve  in  it  one  ounce 
of  j)earlash  for  every  pound  of  cotton;  turn  the  cotton  in  as 
you  would  yarn  in  a  blue  vat,  work  it  in  the  liquor  for  fifteen 
minutes,  wring  out  evenly,  and  it  will  be  ready  for  the  fol- 
lowing process. 

Fourth  Process.     Take  a  broad  copper  pan,  large  enough 


92  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

10  hold  for  every  pound  of  cotton,  twelve  quarts  of  water ; 
put  into  this  liquor  one  pound  of  the  best  crop  madder  for 
each  pound  of  cotton,  fill  the  pan  to  within  seven  or  eight 
inches  of  the  top — when  the  madder  is  in,  break  the  scum 
on  the  top,  place  the  cotton  on  sticks,  as  before  directed,  and 
when  the  water  is  milk-warm,  turn  the  cotton  in  as  in  the 
blue  vat — bring  the  liquor  to  a  boiling  heat  in  one  hour  and 
a  half,  but  not  to  boil  out;  let  it  lie  at  that  heat  for  fifteen 
minutes,  then  draw  the  fire,  place  the  cotton  hollow  and 
straight,  and  let  it  lie  for  an  hour  or  so ;  then  raise  it  out  of 
the  liquor  and  wring  gently,  shaking  the  madder  well  out  of 
it,  one  string  at  a  time ;  wash  clean  from  the  madder,  and 
wring  the  cotton  evenly  and  dry.  In  the  summer  dry  it  in 
the  shade,  in  the  winter  in  a  stove. 

Fifth  Process.  If  the  colour  is  not  deep  enough,  take  to 
every  pound  of  cotton,  four  ounces  of  brazilletto  chips,  boil 
them  one  hour,  strain  off  the  liquor  into  a  tub,  and  add  to  it 
urine  or  lime  until  the  liquor  has  a  pink  cast.  When  the 
liquor  becomes  cool  enough  to  bear  the  hand,  put  in  the  cotton 
and  turn  it  over  eight  or  ten  times,  then  heave  it  out  of  the 
liquor  and  add  for  every  pound  of  cotton,  half  an  ounce  of 
alum  dissolved  in  hot  water,  turn  in  eight  or  ten  times,  wring 
out  and  dry. 


Recipe  for  a  common  red  on  cotton. 
After  the  cotton  has  been  well  boiled  and  washed,  use  to 
each  pound,  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  galls,  and  boil  as  before  ; 
turn  in  the  cotton,  squeeze  out,  turn  in  again,  handle  well, 
and  let  it  lie  all  night.  Wring  it  out  in  the  morning,  and 
for  each  pound  of  cotton  boil  one  pound  of  chipped  brazilletto 
for  half  an  hour,  take  off"  the  clear  liquor,  and  add  a  little 
urine  or  lime  until  it  lias  a  pink  cast  when  a  drop  is  let  fall 
on  the  back  of  the  hand ;  fill  up  the  pan  and  boil  the  chipa 
a  second  time  for  half  an  hour,  and  proceed  with  this  liquor  aj 
with  the  last,  when  it  is  so  cool  that  you  can  bear  the  hand 
in  it ;  dissolve  for  each  pound  of  cotton  two  ounces  of  alurr- 
and  add  it  to  the  liquor,  mix  well  and  turn  in  the  cotton,  work 
quick  at  first,  then  slower  ;  turn  down  and  let  it  lie  one  hour 
then  wring  out  and  turn  it  in  the  liquor  that  was  first  boileci 
work  it  well  in  this  and  turn  it  down  for  fifteen  minutes,  ther, 
raise  it  out  and  wring  a  little  to  see  if  it  is  of  the  right  shade 


RECIPES.  93 

should  it  be  too  much  on  the  crimson,  you  must  dissolve  for 
each  pound  of  cotton  half  an  ounce  of  alum,  in  the  colouring 
liquor,  turn  in  the  cotton  again  and  handle  it  eight  or  ten 
times,  wring  out  and  dry — in  the  summer  in  the  shade,  in  the 
winter  in  a  stove,  or  warm  room. 


Recipe  to  dye  silk  of  a  blood-red  colour. 

I  cannot  answer  for  this  recipe ;  it  was  given  me  by  a 
person  who  was  a  silk  dyer,  and  as  such  I  shall  add  it. 

For  each  pound  of  silk,  take  one  pound  of  alum,  and  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  cream  of  tartar ;  boil  them  in  a  pail- 
ful of  water  for  twenty  minutes,  let  the  silk  steep  in  this 
liquor  for  two  or  three  hours,  take  it  out,  rinse,  and  beat  on 
a  block,  then  hang  up  and  dry. 

Put  four  ounces  of  powdered  Aleppo  galls  into  a  pailful  of 
water,  set  it  over  the  fire  until  tlie  hand  can  just  bear  the 
heat,  then  put  in  the  silk,  let  it  lie  two  hours,  take  out  and  dry. 

Put  into  a  linen  bag  half  a  pound  of  ground  Brazil  wood, 
boil  it  in  four  quarts  of  bran-water,  keep  the  kettle  covered 
while  boiling,  then  take  the  kettle  off  the  fire  and  let  it  stand 
all  night ;  in  the  morning  add  to  it  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  of 
potash,  boil  it  again  one  hour,  then  pour  it  into  as  much  river- 
water  as  there  is  liquor. 

Take  out  the  bag  containing  the  Brazil  wood,  skim  the 
liquor,  and  put  in  the  silk ;  cover  the  vessel  close  and  let  it 
remain  one  hour,  wring  out  and  rinse  very  clean  in  river- 
water,  repeat  the  operation  and  dry  it  in  the  shade  ;  if  the 
colour  be  not  strong  enough,  boil  the  dye  again  and  repeat 
the  operation.  Pass  the  silk  through  a  lather  of  soap,  and 
rinse  in  clear  river-water. 


A  German  recipe  for  red  on  silk,  for  ten  pounds. 

A  deep  red.  Take  one  pound  of  fine  gall's,  two  pounds 
and  a  half  of  alum,  half  a  pound  of  tin  liquor,  and  five  pounds 
of  best  madder. 

Put  into  a  kettle  eight  buckets  of  water,  and  one  pound  of 
fine  galls ;  let  it  boil  about  fifteen  minutes,  or  until  the  streiiffth 
is  extracted  ;  run  it  through  a  sieve  into  a  vat,  steep  the  silk 
in  this  decoction,  and  work  it  well  therein  for.about  two  hours  ; 
after  which,  take  it  out,  rinse,  and  dry  it.     Then  put  into  a 


94  RECIPES. 

kettle  eight  buckets  of  water,  with  two  and  a  half  pounds  of 
alum,  and  half  a  pound  of  the  composition :  let  these  be 
properly  united  with  the  water ;  pour  the  liquor  into  a  vat, 
steep  the  silk  in  the  solution,  and  work  it  well  therein  for  four 
hours :  take  it  out,  rinse,  and  lay  it  by  in  its  wet  state,  for 
further  use. 

Lastly.  To  complete  this  colour,  put  in  a  kettle  ten  buckets 
of  water,  and  five  pounds  of  madder,  and  work  the  silk  well 
in  this  liquor,  until  it  begins  to  boil ;  then  take  it  out,  rinse,  and 
dry  it. 


Second.  German  recipe  for  a  handsome  red. 

For  ten  pounds  of  silk.  Take  eight  ounces  of  annatto,  one 
pound  and  a  half  of  potash,  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  alum, 
six  pounds  of  Brazil  wood,  five  buckets  of  sharp  vinegar,  and 
six  ounces  of  tin  liquor. 

The  tin  liquor  is  a  nitro-muriate,  made  with  sal-ammoniac 
and  aquafortis. 

Boil  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  put  in  it  eight 
ounces  of  annatto,  and  add  one  pound  and  a  half  of  potash ; 
let  the  whole  boil  well  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  pour 
the  liquor  through  a  sieve  into  a  vat.  Steep  the  silk  in  this 
liquor,  and  work  it  well  for  two  hours,  after  which  take  it 
out,  rinse,  wring  out,  and  dry  it. 

Then  dissolve  one  pound  and  a  half  of  alum  in  a  kettle 
with  eight  buckets  of  water;  pour  this  solution  into  a  vat, 
fix  your  silk  upon  rods,  and  work  it  well  therein  for  two 
hours  ;  then  take  it  out,  wring  and  dry. 

When  the  silk  is  completely  dry,  steep  it  in  warm  water, 
until  it  has  become  properly  soaked.  Then  take  it  out,  wring 
and  lay  it  by  wet,  for  further  use. 

This  being  done,  pour  into  a  vat  five  buckets  of  sharp 
vinegar,  and  six  pounds  of  Brazil  wood,  and  let  it  stand  for 
the  space  of  forty-eight  hours  ;  then  take  the  liquor  out  of 
the  vat,  and  pour  it  into  a  kettle  ;  let  it  boil  for  the  space  of 
ten  minutes ;  then  pour  it  through  a  sieve  into  a  vat,  and 
throw  the  parts  remaining  in  the  sieve  into  the  kettle  again  ; 
pour  three  buckets  of  water  on  it,  let  it  boil  well  for  a  quarter 
of  an  hour,  and  add  the  liquor  thereof  to  the  other  Brazil 
liquor  in  the  vat. 

Pour  six  ounces  of  the  composition  (tin  liquor)  into  this 


RECIPES.  95  ' 

liquor  of  Brazil  wood,  and  stir  it  well ;  steep  the  silk  pre- 
viously soaked  in  warm  water,  in  the  liquor,  and  work  it  * 
well  therein  for  tsvo  hours.  Examine,  at  the  expiration 
of  this  time,  whether  the  liquor  still  contains  any  colouring 
matter  ;  if  so,  take  it  out,  pour  it  into  the  kettle  again,  work 
the  silk  another  time  therein,  during  which  it  must  be  kept 
moderately  warm  ;  then  take  it  out,  rinse  it  in  running  water, 
wring,  and  hang  it  up  to  dry.  By  observing  the  whole  of 
the  above  ])roccss  you  will  obtain  a  very  handsome  red.  By 
using  eight  buckets  of  vinegar,  the  colour  will  be  much  im- 
proved ;  and  by  leaving  out  the  tin  liquor,  the  colour  will 
become  darker. 

Lastly.  If  you  desire  to  have  this  colour  of  a  darker 
and  fiery  hue,  add  two  pouiids  of  Brazil  wood,  and  one  pound 
of  tin  liquor,  to  the  above  quantity,  and  proceed  as  above 
directed. 


To  dye  yelloio  on  wool  and  woollen  cloth. 

For  a  piece  of  Lancashire  flannel.  For  the  boiling,  use 
three  pounds  of  alum,  and  lialf  a  pound  of  tin  liquor. 

Boil  the  ingredients  for  half  an  hour,  heave  in  the  flannel, 
and  boil  it  two  hours. 

It  must  be  finished  in  a  fresh  liquor,  with  weld  and  a  small 
quantity  of  pearlash.  This  is  a  highly  permanent  and  very 
beautiful  colour.  Goods  prepared  the  same  as  this  in  the 
boiling,  and  finished  in  a  separate  liquor,  in  a  strong  decoction 
of  black-oak  bark,  makes  a  fine  yellow,  but  by  no  means  so 
beautiful  as  the  weld. 

In  both  weld  and  black-oak  bjirk,  the  bath  must  never  boil 
whilst  the  cloth  is  dying,  nor  before  the  goods  are  put  in,  for 
nearly  all  the  vegetable  dye-drugs,  giving  a  yellow,  contain 
a  dead  dun  colour,  which  is  not  extracted  below  a  boiling  heat. 


To  colour  nine  pounds  of  ivool  ajine  yellow. 

Boil  with  one  pound  and  a  half  of  alum  for  three  hours, 
and  let  the  wool  lie  in  the  liquor  all  night ;  take  it  out  in  the 
morning,  wash  and  bring  on  a  fresh  liquor;  finish  with  nine 
pounds  and  a  half  of  weld,  boil  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and 
let  lie  in  all  night.     Take  out  in  the  morning,  wash  and  dry. 


90  RECIPES. 

To  colour  eighty-five  pounds  of  wool  of  a  strong  yellow. 

Boil  with  ten  pounds  of  alum,  let  lie  in  all  night ;  take 
out  in  the  morning  and  wash,  then  in  a  fresh  liquor  boil 
thirty  pounds  of  weld,  and  six  pounds  of  fustic.  Boil  the 
ingredients  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  one  hour ;  run  the  furnace  up  until  cool,  land  the  wool, 
wash  and  dry  it. 

Black-oak  bark  may  be  used  in  place  of  weld,  taking  about 
half  the  quantity,  or  rather  less. 

For  dying  yelloio  on  cotton. 

First  recipe.  The  cotton- for  this  colour  must  be  very 
well  cleansed  previously  to  dying,  and,  when  bleached,  it 
will  take  a  fine  colour.  Whether  it  is  raw  or  bleached,  it 
must  be  boiled  in  the  twisted  hank,  in  soft  water,  until  it 
sinks  in  the  liquor,  and  it  must  then  be  washed  well.  To 
prepare  it  for  receiving  the  dye,  boil  it  with  six  ounces  of 
alum,  and  one  ounce  of  verdigris,  for  each  pound  of  cotton ; 
alum  it  twice,  as  directed  for  red,  and  in  the  second  aluming 
let  it  lie  four  days.  When  it  has  been  well  alumed  and 
dried,  boil  one  pound  of  fustic  for  every  pound  of  cotton,  and 
make  as  much  liquor  as  will  soak  the  cotton  twice  ;  take 
half  the  liquor  and  turn  in  the  cotton.  When  the  colour  is 
nearly  drawn  out  of  this,  wring  out,  and  turn  in  the  other 
half  of  the  liquor  ;  when  the  colour  is  drawn  out  of  that  also, 
which  it  will  be  in  about  fifteen  minutes,  wring  out,  and  it  is 
finished. 

Second  recipe.  When  the  cotton  is  dry,  after  aluming, 
take  one  pound  of  weld,  and  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  pearl- 
ash,  to  each  pound  of  cotton — when  this  liquor  has  been  well  ^ 
boiled,  wring  the  cotton,  and  turii  it  in  at  tlie  usual  heat  for 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  then  raise  it  out ;  dissolve  one  ounce 
of  blue  vitriol  to  each  pound  of  cotton,  put  it  into  the  former 
liquor,  turn  in  the  cotton  for  fifteen  minutes,  wring  out,  and 
it  is  done. 

This  colour  will  have  a  green  cast,  which  is  much  admired ; 
but  if  wanted  of  a  golden  yellow,  it  may  be  produced  by 
boiling  two  or  three  ounces  of  annatto  in  a  saucepan,  with 
two  or  three  ounces  of  pearlash,  adding  a  very  little  of  this 
solution  to  the  weld  liquor  before  putting  in  the  cotton ;  but 
if  too  much  of  this  is  added,  the  yellow  will  be  brown. 


RECIPES.  97 

Third  recipe.  Let  tlie  cotton  be  boiled  and  washed  Mrell. 
Dissolve  for  each  pound,  one  ounce  of  alum,  turn  in  the  cotton, 
handle  well,  let  lie  for  half  an  hour,  and  wring  out  oven.  For 
each  pound  of  cotton,  use  one  pound  of  ground  black-oak 
bark,  add  to  it  one-eighth  of  an  ounce  of  pearlash,  and  pour 
on  it  as  much  boiling  water  as  will  soak  the  cotton  twice ; 
stir  these  together  well,  take  half  the  liquor,  turn  in  the  cotton 
at  the  usual  heat,  work  it  well,  and  raise  it  on  a  pin.  To 
each  pound  of  cotton,  dissolve  one  drachm  of  verdigris,  add 
it  to  the  first  liquor,  and  turn  in  the  cotton  for  twelve  or 
fifteen  minutes — wring  out,  and  give  it  the  other  half  of  the 
liquor,  adding,  after  it  has  been  dipped  in  this,  the  same 
quantity  of  verdigris  as  in  the  last,  wring  out,  and  dry  in 
the  shade. 


To  dye  yellow  on  silk. 

First  recipe.  Boil  the  silk  in  soap  till  white,  wash  it  out 
well,  alum,  and  then  wash  it  twice  in  cold  water!  Fill  a  fur- 
nace with  clear  cold  water,  put  into  it  half  a  bundle  of  weld, 
and  bring  it  to  a  spring  heat,  but  not  to  boil  out.  Prepare  a 
bath  of  clear  soft  water,  and  put  into  it  of  the  yellow-weld 
liquor  to  the  colour  wanted.  If  for  a  deep  yellow,  make  up 
and  finish  in  a  lather  of  soap ;  but  if  for  a  jonquille,  this  is 
not  wanted — wring  out,  and  dry  in  a  stove. 

Second  recipe.  Use  of  alum,  three  ounces  to  one  pound 
of  silk  ;  sugar  of  lead,  one  ounce  to  one  pound  of  alum  ;  fustic, 
one  pound  to  one  pound  of  silk  ;  water,  one  or  two  gallons, 
in  proportion  to  the  shade  required.  Immerse  the  silk  over- 
night  in  the  solution  of  alum  and  sugar  of  lead,  take  it  out 
i.  wring,  and  dye  it  in  the  fustic. 

Third  recipe.  For  ten  pounds,  take  one  pound  and  a 
quarter  of  alum,  and  seven  pounds  of  French  berries,  or  four 
pounds  of  Turkey  berries.  Put  the  alum  into  a  kettle,  with 
eight  buckets  of  water ;  when  dissolved,  pour  it  into  a  vat, 
immerse  the  silk  in  the  solution,  work  it  well  therein  for  half 
an  hour,  take  it  out,  lay  it  aside  in  its  wet  state  for  further  use, 
and  throw  away  the  solution.  Then  boil  ten  buckets  of  fresh 
water,  put  into  it  the  berries,  boil  for  tlnee-quartei'S  of  an 
hour,  pour  it  through  a  sieve  into  a  vat,  and  immerse  the  silk 
in  the  liquor,  work  it  well  therein  for  half  an  hour,  wring  out, 
and  fix  it  on  the  wringing  post. 

9 


98  RECIPES. 

A  small  quantity  of  alum  may  be  added  to  the  berries,  and 

boiled  with  them,  which  improves  the  colour. 

To  make  this  colour  deeper  or  brighter,  take  more  or  less 
than  the  above  quantity  of  the  berries. 

Fourth  recipe.  For  a  citron-yellow,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk, 
take  two  pounds  of  alum,  and  six  pounds  of  ground  quercitron- 
bark.  Put  the  alum  into  a  kettle,  dissolve  it  in  ten  buckets  of 
fresh  water,  pour  the  solution  into  a  vat,  immerse  the  silk  in 
it,  work  it  well  therein  for  two  hours,  wring  out,  and  lay  it 
aside  wet  for  further  use — throw  away  the  solution  of  alum. 
Then  put  the  ground  quercitron-bark  into  a  kettle,  with  ten 
buckets  of  fresh  water,  boil  it  one  hour,  take  it  out,  run  the 
decoction  through  a  sieve  into  a  pail,  immerse  the  silk  in  the 
liquor,  and  work  it  well  one  hour ;  after  which,  it  is  to  be  taken 
out,  wrung,  and  dried  ;  fix  it  on  the  wringing  post,  wring  it 
a  second  time,  when  it  will  be  a  beautiful  citron-yellow. 

This  colour  may  be  much  heightened,  by  adding  a  small 
quantity  of  soda,  more  or  less,  to  the  above  yellow  liquor, 
according  to  the  shades  of  colour  desired;  but  this  must  not 
be  done  till  the  yellow  is  dyed. 


To  dye  chrome-yellow  on  cotton  and  silk. 

This  colour  has  been  in  use  only  for  a  few  years,  and  has 
already  supej-seded  almost  all  other  yellows.  There  is  none 
so  clear  and  beautiful,  and  as  it  is  as  permanent  as  any  other, 
it  must  always  take  the  prefei'ence.  The  advantage  of  using 
chrome,  for  dying  yellow,  is  felt  by  the  dyer,  as  it  may  be 
done  in  a  cold  state,  thereby  saving  fuel,  and  in  any  quantity 
at  a  time,  without  loss  of  material. 

Process.  For  every  one  hundred  pounds  of  yarn,  take 
twenty-four  pounds  of  sugar  of  lead,  and  eight  pounds  of 
bichromate  of  potash  ;  dissolve  the  lead  in  fifty,  and  the 
bichromate  in  six  gallons  of  water.  For  the  first  ten  pounds 
of  yarn,  take  about  twelve  gallons  of  the  lead  liquor  and 
make  up  a  tub,  (a  half-hogshead,)  and  about  one  gallon  and 
a  half  of  the  chrome  liquor  and  make  up  another  tub.  The 
tubs  must  be  filled  with  water  nearly  to  the  top.  When  the 
first  ten  pound  bundle  has  been  through  the  lead  tub,  giving 
it  four  turns,  it  is  wrung  out,  and  entered  into  the  chrome  tub, 
where  it  also  gets  four  turns,  and  is  wrung  out.  For  the 
second  ten  pound  bundle,  four  gallons  of  the  lead  liquor  is 


RECIPES.  ©9 

taken  out  of  the  working  tub,  and  replenished  with  fourigal- 
lonsof  fresh  lead  liquor;  aboutthree-quartersof  a  gallon  of 
the  chrome  liquor  is  taken  out  of  the  working  tub,  and  re- 
plenished with  three-quarters  of  a  gallon  of  fresh  chrome 
liquor,  and  so  on  alternately,  until  the  whole  is  finished.  If 
a  strong  yellow  is  wanted,  use  nitrate  of  lead  in  place  of  the 
sugar. 

Silk  is  dyed  after  the  same  manner  as  cotton.  The  appli- 
cation of  chrome  to  silk  is  said  to  injure  the  quality  so  much, 
as  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  cotton,  on  which  account  it 
is  never  used  by  experienced  silk  dyers. 


We  began  our  dying  recipes  with  black,  and  have  pro- 
ceeded to  give  directions  how  to  make  the  dyer's  three  primi- 
live  colours.  Before  giving  recipes  for  making  compound 
colours,  we  will  give  instructions  for  dying  white  on  woollens 
and  silks,  and  stoving  them. 

Many  of  the  woollen  cloths  and  cassimeres  are  coloured 
white,  for  military  uniforms  and  facings,  and  it  is  for  such 
purposes  they  are  generally  used.  White  cassimere  waist- 
coats, however,  are  occasionally  fashionable,  as  well  as  white 
cloth  pantaloons.  Flannels  are  often  whitened  and  stoved 
by  sulphur  bleaching. 


Recipe  for  colouring  one  hundred  and  sixty  pounds  of  woollen 
cloth  a  uniform  white. 

The  cloth  must  be  drawn  over  a  perch,  to  see  that  it  is 
clear  in  the  ground,  and  free  from  iron-moulds,  or  any  other 
stain  that  may  be  likely  to  show  when  coloured.  It  has  then 
to  be  well  scoured  with  fullers-earth,  and  afterward  looked 
over  again,  to  see  if  any  defects  appear  that  were  not  before 
visible ;  and  if  there  arc  any  that  will  not  discharge  by  rubbing 
with  warm  soap-suds,  the  cloth  will  not  be  fit  for  whitening. 

While  the  cloth  has  been  preparing,  a  clean  copper  fur- 
nace, holding  one  hundred  gallons,  must  be  nearly  filled  with 
water,  and  made  to  boil ;  while  the  heat  is  coming  up,  shave 
into  it  twelve  or  fourteen  pounds  of  the  best  white  soap. 
Care  must  be  taken,  when  it  begins  to  boil,  that  it  does  not 
flow  over  tlie  furnace,  wiiich  it  is  very  apt  to  do  ;  to  prevent 
this,  keep  a  bucket  of  cold  water  by  the  furnace,  and  when 
you  find  that  stirring  with  a  rake  will  not  prevent  its  rising. 


100  RECIPES. 

pour  in  the  water.  When  the  hquor  has  boiled  a  sufficient 
time  to  dissolve  all  the  soap,  take  a  bucket  of  the  liquor, 
say  three  gallons,  mix  it  with  three  of  soft  water,  and  with 
it  scour  the  cloth  again  in  the  stocks,  without  washing  out 
the  soap. 

Uniform  whites  may  be  coloured  either  in  large  wooden 
backs,  or  in  a  copper  furnace,  with  a  white-willow  basket 
made  to  fit  the  inside.  Whatever  vessels  are  intended  for 
this  purpose,  they  must  be  such  as  will  not  impart  any  stain 
to  the  goods,  and  must  be  kept  clean  and  exclusively  appro- 
priated for  that  purpose. 

When  done  in  a  furnace,  it  must  be  made  very  clean,  and 
filled  with  perfectly  clean  water.  A  fire  is  to  be  put  under, 
and  the  liquor  raised  to  the  temperature  of  new  milk  ;  at  this 
heat,  as  much  of  the  boiled  soap  should  be  added  as  will  make 
the  liquor  very  white ;  when  this  has  been  added,  and  the 
liquor  stirred  so  as  to  mix  the  soap  well  through  it,  a  small 
quantity  of  chymic  is  put  in,  just  enough  to  make  the  liquor  a 
sky-blue,  or  darker,  if  the  colour  requires  it.  Some  uniforms 
are  of  a  natural  white,  when  they  require  only  soap  and  sul- 
phuring  ;  they  vary  from  this  to  a  very  blue  white,  approach- 
ing to  a  faint  sky  colour — the  latter  is  never  sulphured. 
The  blue  mixture  has  to  be  passed  through  a  bag ;  some 
stout  flannel  is  sewed  in  the  form  of  a  jelly-bag,  and  the 
top  is  secured  round  a  wooden  hoop.  This  bag  is  first  wet, 
then  placed  in  the  furnace,  and  the  soapy  liquor  will  pass 
through  it,  and  fill  the  inside  ;  into  this  part  of  the  liquor  a 
small  quantity  of  chymic  is  poured,  and  stirred  until  it  is 
well  mixed ;  the  bag  is  then  drawn  up  by  the  rim,  and  the 
diluted  blue  permitted  to  pass  through  into  the  furnace — the 
whole  is  then  well  stirred  with  a  rake,  so  as  to  mix  the  blue 
completely  with  the  soapy  liquor.  The  cloth  is  then  entered, 
rapidly  moved  over  the  reel,  and  kept  well  open  during  the 
whole  time  of  working.  Put  in,  at  the  heat  of  new  milk,  as 
before  mentioned,  bring  the  heat  up  five  or  six  degrees,  and 
in  thirty  or  forty  minutes  the  colouring  will  be  finished. 

This  colour  is  not  washed,  but  the  cloth  is  folded  up  care- 
fully and  smooth,  and  laid  in  a  clean  cloth,  on  a  scrave, 
horizontally  ;  for  if  thrown  across  a  dyer's  horse  to  drain, 
the  colour  will  run  to  the  lists.  When  cloth  has  been  dyed 
white,  it  is  always  stove-dried. 

On  some   occasions,  the   whites  that    are   dved   without 


RECIPES.  101 

bluing,  are  hung  up  in  a  sulphur  house  to  bleach.  A  sulphur 
house,  for  bleaching  cloth,  is  a  square  building,  closely  plas 
tered,  to  prevent  the  sulphurous  gas  from  escaping.  The 
cloth  is  hung  up  by  the  list,  on  wooden  hooks,  and  no  two 
folds  arc  permitted  to  touch  each  other.  The  cloth,  when 
hung  up,  shoukl  be  thoroughly  moistened  with  the  whitening 
liquor,  but  not  so  wet  as  to  run.  When  the  house  is  filled 
with  cloth,  or  the  iniended  quantity  is  hung  up,  some  roll- 
sulphur,  bruised,  is  put  on  four  iron  dishes,  which  are  pre- 
viously covered  two  or  three  inches  thick  with  fine  dry  cili- 
cious  sand  ;  one  of  these  is  put  in  each  corner  of  the  room, 
and  a  small  hole  is  left  at  the  bottom  of  the  building,  near 
each  pot,  say  three  by  four  inches,  to  admit  a  supply  of  air 
for  the  purpose  of  keeping  tlie  sulphur  in  a  state  of  combus- 
tion. When  the  sulphur  is  set  on  fire,  the  door  is  closed 
until  the  following  morning,  when  it  is  thrown  open,  and  as 
soon  as  the  workmen  can  enter  with  safety,  the  cloth  is  shifted, 
the  lists  that  hung  down  being  now  turned  up  and  hooked  on 
the  tenters.  More  sulphur  is  now  placed  on  the  sand  plates, 
which  is  ignited  as  before ;  when  the  cloth  has  undergone 
this  second  process,  it  is  finished  sulphuring,  and  will  have 
to  be  tentered  and  dried. 

It  is  necessary  to  observe,  that  cloth  intended  for  uniform 
white  is  finished  shearing  before  it  is  coloured  ;  and  that  after 
it  is  dried,  it  need  only  be  beaten  in  the  tenters  with  small 
white-willow  rods,  to  extricate  any  soap  that  may  hang  on 
the  face  in  a  state  of  dust — the  beating  should  be  done  very 
lightly.  Sometimes  a  small  quantity  of  the  best  whiting  is 
used  in  the  soap  liquor,  but  this  is  seldom  necessary  if  good 
soap  be  employed.  

To  colour  white  on  silk. 
Boil  off  with  yellow  cake-soap,  four  pounds  to  each  twenty 
pounds  of  silk  ;  then  cord  off  twenty  skeins  on  each  cord, 
and  put  them  in  a  bag ;  put  into  a  copper  kettle  the  four 
pounds  of  soap,  with  a  small  quantity  of  red  orchille,  in  which 
l.oil  the  bag  for  three  hours,  wring  out  by  handfuls,  and  hang 
up  four  handfuls  on  a  stick.  Draw  off  and  pump  up  ;  make 
a  weak  lather,  and  put  indigo  into  it,  according  to  the  colour 
wanted.  If  the  colour  is  required  tO  be  more  on  the  red, 
use  more  orchille.  This  is  done  at  a  good  heat,  and  a  few 
turns  will  finish  it. 

9  ♦ 


102  RECIPES.  '^ 

On  comj)ound  colours. 

Having  given  recipes,  and  modes  of  working  for  black  and 
white,  and  for  the  dyer's  three  primitive  colours,  blue,  yellow, 
and  red,  we  will  proceed  to  the  compound  colours,  and  shall 
commence  with  those  that  are  compounded  of  blue  and  yel- 
low, constituting  all  of  tliat  genera  known  by  the  name  of 
green.  I  shall,  that  my  directions  may  be  more  clearly  under- 
stood, divide  this  genera  into  four  distinct  classes :  the  true 
green,  those  colours  which  are  dyed  with  blue  and  yellow 
alone,  in  which  neither  of  those  shades  predominate  in  any 
considerable  degree  ;  the  yellow-green,  in  which  the  yellow 
predominates ;  the  blue-green,  in  which  the  blue  has  the 
ascendency;  and,  finally,  those  greens  in  which  the  red 
enters  into  the  composition. 

When  cloth  is  to  be  dyed  green,  it  must  previously  be  well 
scoured  with  fullers-earth. 


Of  true  green. 

The  following  recipe  is  for  a  full  bodied  colour  of  this 
green,  on  thirty-three  yards  of  seven-quarter  Spanish  broad- 
cloth, weighing  about  forty-six  pounds. 

For  boiling,  use  eight  pounds  of  alum,  and  one  pound  of 
chymic.  Boil  them  together  for  half  an  hour,  then  throw  in 
the  cloth,  boil  it  one  hour,  take  it  out,  and  boil  in  the  same 
liquor  thirty  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  five  pounds  of  alum, 
and  three  pounds  of  chymic.  Boil  the  alum  and  fustic  for 
one  hour,  then  add  the  chymic,  pouring  it  into  the  boiling 
liquor  in  a  small  stream,  not  larger  than  the  size  of  a  wheat 
straw,  to  prevent  its  blowing  out ;  let  the  liquor  boil  ten 
minutes,  fill  the  furnace  with  cold  water  to  the  proper  height, 
stir  the  liquor  well  with  a  rake,  enter  the  cloth,  and  rattle 
over  the  reel  as  fast  as  two  men  can  open  it ;  for  unless  this 
is  done  rapidly,  the  colour  will  be  uneven,  as  the  blue  strikes 
instantly.  Bring  the  furnace  to  a  boil,  and  keep  it  boiling 
till  of  the  colour  wanted. 

In  colouring  green,  when  chymic  is  used,  it  is  essential  to 
know  that  the  g'oods  take  the  blue  first,  then  the  yellow,  and 
that  the  longer  they  boil,  the  yellower  the  colour  will  be. 
Therefore,  in  dying  two  or  three  pieces  at  once,  as  many 
different  colours  as  thei*e  are  pieces  may  be  taken  out  of  the 
"furnace  successively. 


RECIPEIS.  103 

When  tlic  desired  colour  is  obtained,  tlic  cloth  should  be 
wound  up  cu  the  reel  rapidly,  and  immediately  thrown  off 
into  a  back  of  clear  cold  water.  It  must  then  be  cleared  by 
streaming,  as  directed  under  the  article  for  cleansing  of  cloth. 


For  a  very  light  grass-green,  for  forty-one  pounds  of  cloth. 

Put  into  the  water,  before  it  boils,  a  quarter  of  a  peck  of 
bran,  and  one  pound  of  muriate  of  tin,  bring  the  liquor  to  a 
boil,  and,  wiien  slowly  boiling,  scum  off  the  bran  as  if  rises. 
When  the  liquor  has  been  well  scummed,  add  seven  pounds 
of  alum,  and  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  chymic.  Boil  the 
alum  half  an  liour,  then  add  the  chymic,  and  boil  ten  minutes; 
run  up  the  furnace,  stir  well,  throw  in  the  cloth,  and  boil  it 
one  hour.  In  the  same  liquor,  boil  ten  pounds  of  fustic,  one 
pound  and  a  half  of  chymic,  and  two  pounds  of  alum. 

Boil  the  fustic  and  alum  as  in  the  last  recipe,  and  add  the 
chymic  as  there  directed,  boil  as  usual,  stir  the  liquor  well, 
throw  in  the  cloth,  boil  it  until  of  the  desired  colour,  cool 
down,  and  heave  out  into  a  back  of  water.  When  finished, 
proceed  as  with  the  last. 

Very  permanent  greens  of  any  colour  may  be  made  oa 
cloth,  by  blueing  it  in  the  woad  vat  more  or  less,  according 
to  the  colour  wanted  ;  then  making  a  liquor  with  one-sixth 
of  its  weight  of  alum,  and  as  much  fustic  as  will  make  the 
desired  colour. 


To  dye  xoool  a  true  green. 

For  a  full  bodied  dark  green,  on  two  hundred  and  three 
pounds  of  wool.  To  be  first  dyed  a  middlhig  blue,  in  the 
woad  vat,  then  finished  in  the  furnace  with  eighty  pounds  of 
fustic,  and  twenty  pounds  of  weld. 

The  fustic  to  be  boiled  by  itself  for  two  hours ;  the  weld 
tc  be  entered  and  boik;d  twenty  minutes.  The  dye-warea 
arc  now  to  be  taken  out,  the  furnace  run  up,  the  liquor  well 
stirred,  the  wool  entered  and  handled  as  before  directed,  for 
half  an  hour,  the  heat  to  be  brought  on  and  boiled  two  hours. 
The  furnace  must  now  be  run  up  with  cold  water,  and  four 
pounds  of  alum  strewed  over  the  liquor  by  handfuls  at  a 
time,  the  wool  to  be  well  raked  and  briskly  handled  at  the 
time,  and  between  the  throwing  on  of  each  handful ;  when 


104  "  RECIPES. 

the  alum  is  all  in,  put  on  the  fire  and  keep  handling  until  the 
liquor  begins  to  boil,  permitting  the  liquor  to  boil  for  half  an 
hour ;  then  open  the  furnace  door,  run  up,  and  let  it  lie  aF 
night. 

It  must  be  observed  that  wool  should  never  be  landed  om 
of  a  very  hot  liquor,  for  this  makes  it  stringy  and  difficulctc 
work  in  the  machines.  When  a  furnace  of  liquor  has  laic 
with  the  wool  in  it  all  night,  it  will  be  about  cool  enough  t<: 
run  off  in  the  morning ;  should  any  circumstance  make  it 
necessary  to  run  off  immediately  after  it  has  boiled,  the  liquor 
should  be  cooled  down  to  140°  Fahrenheit,  before  the  wool  is 
left  free  of  liquor.  To  perform  the  running  off,  without  per- 
mitting any  wool  to  go  with  the  liquor,  let  the  workman, 
before  turning  the  cock,  thrust  the  wool  from  before  the  open- 
ing with  two  or  three  large  sticks  ;  when  this  has  been  done 
effectually,  put  a  circular  shovel  between  the  mouth  of  the 
cock  and  the  sticks,  by  which  means  the  liquor  will  be  per- 
mitted to  run  off  freely  without  any  wool  following  it. 


Second  recipe  for  green  on  wool — a  true  green. 

The  wool  to  be  coloured  in  the  vat  as  before.  The  colour- 
ing materials,  prescribed  in  this  recipe,  are  for  twenty  pounds 
of  wool.  Use  four  pounds  of  weld,  nine  pounds  and  three- 
quarters  of  rasped  fustic,  and  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of 
logwood. 

The  materials  to  boil  one  hour,  the  bags  taken  out,  the 
liquor  run  up  with  cold  water,  the  wool  put  in,  and  boiled 
two  hours,  then  strew  over  two  pounds  and  a  quarter  of  alum 
in  the  same  manner  as  directed  for  the  last ;  boil  again  for 
half  an  hour,  and  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  light  true  green — to  be  first  dyed  a  very  light  blue. 

It  must  be  understood  that  in  all  cases  when  a  furnace 
colour  is  done  on  a  blue  ground,  and  particularly  when  the 
colour  is  light,  the  blue  must  be  washed  very  clean  before  it 
is  dyed,  otherwise  the  colour  will  have  a  very  dull  and  muddy 
appearance  when  finished. 

This  light  colour  has  first  to  be  boiled  in  four  pounds  of 
alum  for  twenty-four  pounds  of  wool,  and  let  lie  in  the  liquor 
all  night;  and  then,  witliout  washing  the  wool,  bring  on  a  fresh 


RECIPES.  105 

liquor,  in  which  boil  sixteen  pounds  of  weld,  run  up,  heave  in 
the  wool,  boil  two  hours,  and  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 

This  recipe  makes  a  very  beautiful  green,  being  much  like 
that  which  is  seen  on  the  plumage  of  a  peacock. 

There  is  no  dying-drug  that  produces  so  fine  a  yellow  as 
weld,  and  it  imparts  a  softness  to  the  wool  that  no  other  ap- 
pears to  give. 


For  a  true  green  for  sixteen  pounds  of  wool — to  he  woaded 
blue,  as  usual. 
For  the  boiling,  use  eight  pounds  of  fustic,  and  five  pounds 
of  weld.  The  dye-wares  to  boil  two  hours  in  bags,  as  usual ; 
the  furnace  run  up  and  well  stirred,  the  wool  thrown  in  and 
boiled  two  hours ;  then  cooled  down,  and  strew  over  it  one 
pound  of  alum,  and  one  pound  and  three-quarters  of  copperas. 
After  these  are  in,  and  the  wool  well  handled,  bring  the  liquor 
to  a  boil,  and  let  it  lie  all  night. 


Recipes  for  green,  in  which  the  blue  predominates. 
There  will  be  no  occasion  to  give  any  recipe  for  making 
this  colour  on  cloth,  as  they  niay  be  easily  made  by  lessen- 
ing the  quantity  of  fustic,  and  increasing  that  of  the  chymic, 
upon  any  of  the  recipes  for  true  greens. 


To  dye  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  in  which  the  blue  slightly 
predominates. 

To  be  first  dyed  blue  in  the  vat,  such  as  can  be  done  for 
about  ten  cents  a  pound;  then  boil  seven  pounds  of  fustic 
chips,  and  one  pound  of  logwood,  in  a  bag,  for  two  hours; 
take  out  the  bag,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and  boil  it  for 
two  hours ;  then  run  up  again,  and  strew  in  two  ounces  of 
pounded  blae  vitriol,  two  ounces  of  pounded  alum,  and  two 
ounces  of  copperas ;  boil  one  Iiour,  and  let  it  lie  all  night. 


Recipe  for  a  blue-green,  tchere  the  blue  is  stronger  than  the 
last,  for  two  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  wool. 
Dye  in  the  blue  vat  to  a  fifteen  cent  blue.     For  the  boiling, 
use  sixty-six  pounds  of  chipped  fiistic,  twenty  pounds  of  weld, 
one  pint  and  a  half  of  chymic,  emd  one  pound  of  pearlash. 


106  RECIPES. 

Let  the  fustic  boil  in  bags  two  hours,  then  heave  in  the 
weld  in  bags,  and  boil  half  an  hour  ;  take  out  the  dye-wares 
and  put  in  the  chymic  as  directed  for  cloth  ;  when  this  has 
been  boiled,  add  the  peai-lash  in  small  quantities  at  a  time, 
then  run  up  and  stir  well,  after  which,  heave  in  the  wool 
rapidly  and  handle  very  quick — boil  two  hours,  run  up,  and 
strew  over  eight  pounds  of  argol,  and  twelve  pounds  of  alum  ; 
boil  one  hour,  and  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 


For  u  very  light  blue-green,  for  sixty  pounds  of  wool. 
Use  fourteen  pounds  of  weld,  and  three  cups  full  of  chymic. 
Cause  the  welds  to  boil  half  an  hour,  then  take  out,  and  add 
the  chymic  as  before  directed  ;  the  liquor  must  now  be  run 
up,  the  wool  thrown  in,  and  handled  quick  :  then  boiled  two 
hours  and  cooled  down  ;  when  this  has  been  done,  strew  over 
six  pounds  of  pounded  alum,  and  three  pounds  of  argol — 
boil  one  hour  and  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 


Recipe  for  a  very  dark  green,  rather  inclining  to  the  blue,  for 

sixteen  pounds  of  ivool,  previously  dyed  a  fifteen  cent  blue, 

in  the  woad  vat. 

For  the  boiling,  use  seven  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  and 
two  pounds  and  a  quarter  of  chipped  logwood. 

The  wares  to  be  boiled  in  a  bag  two  hours,  the  liquor  run 
up,"well  stirred,  and  the  wool  thrown  in.  Let  it  be  one  hour 
coming  to  a  boil,  and  boil  two  hours ;  then  cool  down,  and 
strew  over  fourteen  ounces  of  alum — boil  half  an  hour,  cool 
down  again,  and  add  five  ounces  of  copperas,  and  one  ounce 
and  a  quarter  of  pearlash,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  it  lie  all  night. 


For  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  pounds  of  wool  for  a  dark 
blue  bottle-green — to  be  first  dyed  in  the  woad  vat  to  a  thir- 
teen cent  blue. 

For  the  boiling,  use  thirteen  pounds  of  umbro  madder,  and 
one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  of  logwood. 

Let  the  wares  be  boiled  two  hours,  the  liquor  cooled  down, 
well  stirred,  and  the  wool  entered ;  then  the  wool  is  to  be 
boiled  three  hours,  and  when  it  is  cooled  down,  strew  over  it 
four  pounds  and  a  half  of  alum,  and  thirteen  pounds  of  cop- 
peras ;  boil  half  an  hour,  cool  down,  and  let  it  lie  all  night. 


RECIPES.  107 

For  a  middling  blue-green  for  two  hundred  and  five  pounds  of 
wool — to  be  first  woaded  a  nine  cent  blue. 

Use  twcnty-onc  pounds  of  alum,  boil  this  half  an  hour, 
heave  in  the  wool  and  boil  it  two  hours  ;  then  heave  out  and 
wash. 

Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  and  boil  in  it  forty  pounds  of  chipped 
fustic,  and  seven  pounds  of  umbro  madder. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
boil  it  three  hours,  and  let  it  lie  all  night. 


For  a  very  light  green,  in  which  the  blue  predominates — for 
fifty-six  pounds  of  wool,  first  woaded  to  a  four  cent  blue. 

For  the  boiling,  use  nine  pounds  of  fustic.  Let  the  wood 
be  boiled  two  hours,  the  bag  taken  out,  the  furnace  run  up, 
the  wool  thrown  in  and""  boiled  three  hours,  and  let  it  lie  all 
night. 

Recipes  for  green,  in  which  the  yellow  predominates. 

In  these,  will  be  included  bronze  and  olive-greens.  Bronze- 
greens  are  those  colours  which  are  of  a  rich  olive,  having  a 
very  strong  body  of  yellow. 


For  a  rich  bronze-green  for  sixteen  pounds  of  wool  that  has 
been  coloured  a  full  txcenty  cent  blue. 

For  the  boiling,  use  six  pounds  and  a  half  of  chipped  fustic, 
and  four  pounds  of  weld. 

Let  the  fustic  boil  two  hours,  then  heave  in  the  weld,  and 
boil  half  an  hour ;  take  the  w^arcs  out  of  the  Hquor,  stir, 
lieave  in  the  wool,  and  boil  it  two  hours  ;  then  cool  down  and 
strew  over  it  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  alum,  and  one 
ounce  of  dissolved  copperas — it  must  now  boil  one  hour,  and 
let  lie  in  all  niirht. 


For  a  bronze-green  on  two  hundred  and  sixty  pounds  of  wool. 

This  is  for  a  rich  and  very  full  colour.     It  has  first  to  be 
dyed  in  the  vat,  of  a  light  seven  cent  blue. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds  of 


108  RECIPES. 

chipped  fustic,  seventy  pounds  of  weld,  and  four  pounds  of 
chipped  logwood. 

Let  the  ingredients  be  boiled  as  before,  for  two  hours,  the 
furnace  run  up,  well  stirred,  the  wool  thrown  in  and  boiled  two 
hours  ;  then^cool  down,  strew  over  it  twelve  pounds  of  alum, 
and  two  pounds  of  argol ;  boil  again  one  hour,  let  the  liquor 
be  cooled  again  a  second  time,  and  strew  over  it  nine  pounds 
of  dissolved  copperas,  and  one  of  ground  logwood  ;  let  the 
liquor  boil  one  hour,  and  the  wool  lie  in  all  night. 


To  dye  sixteen  pounds  of  a  lighter  bronze,  and  not  so  dark  as 

the  last.      This  has  to  be  woaded  to  a  light  fourteen  cent 

blue. 

For  the  boiling,  use  seven  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  and 
four  pounds  of  weld. 

The  wares  to  be  boiled  two  hours,'  the  bags  taken  out,  the 
liquor  cooled  down,  well  stirred,  and  the  wool  thrown  in  and 
boiled  one  hour  and  a  half;  tlien  cooled  down,  and  strew  over 
it  one  pound  of  alum ;  boil  one  hour,  cool  down  again,  and 
strew  over  it  one  ounce  of  dissolved  copperas ;  boil  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour,  and  let  it  lie  all  night.  This  is  called  an 
emerald  green,  and  is  a  very  beautiful  colour. 


For  afne  olive-green  on  sixteen  pounds  of  luool,  to  be  jooaded 
to  a  nine  cent  blue. 

For  the  boiling,  use  sixteen  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  and 
four  pounds  of  weld. 

Boil  the  fustic  two  hours,  then  the  weld  half  an  hour ;  take 
out  the  dye-wares,  run  up  with  water,  stir  well,  heave  in  the 
wool,  and  boil  two  hours ;  then  cool  down  and  strew  over  it 
one  pound  of  alum,  and  four  ounces  of  dissolved  copperas. 


For  a  dark  bottle-green  of  the  bronze  hue,  for  one  hundred  and 
forty  pounds  of  wool,  made  a  full  eleven  cent  blue  in  the 
woad  vat. 

'    For  the  boiling,  use  eighty  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  and 

fifteen  pounds  of  weld. 

Boil  the  wares  as  before,  cool  down,  stir  well,  heave  in 

the  wool  and  boil  two  hours  ;  then  cool  down,  and  strew  over 


RECIPES.  109 

it  seven  pounds  of  pounded  alum,  and  three  pounds  of  mad- 
der ;   boil  one  hour,  and  let  it  lie  all  night. 


For  an  invisible  green  on  two  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of 
wool — a  colour  now  very  fashionable. 

For  the  boiling,  use  seventy  pounds  of  fustic,  thirty-five 
pounds  of  logwood,  eight  pounds  of  argol,  and  twelve  pounds 
of  alum. 

Boil  as  usual,  wash  the  wool,  and  run  it  in  the  blue  vat 
until  of  the  desired  colour.  The  stronger  the  blue,  the  more 
it  will  approacli  to  the  invisible  hue. 


To  dye  bottle-green  of  different  shades,  on  twenty  pounds  of  loool. 

Take  from  four  to  ten  pounds  of  fustic,  three  to  twelve 
pounds  of  logwood,  for  the  boiling,  and  sadden  with  one 
pound  of  alum,  and  from  one-quarter  to  half  a  pound  of 
copperas. 

The  wool  to  be  first  dyed  a  fourteen  cent  blue  in  the  woad 
vat,  and  proceeded  with  as  directed  for  other  greens. 


To  dye  red-greens. 

For  all  greens  intended  to  have  a  red  hue,  take  any  of  the 
foregoing  recipes  for  green,  leave  out  more  or  less  of  the 
yellow  dyes,  and  add  barwood  in  their  place.  If  required 
very  dark,  use  the  usual  quantity  of  fustic,  and  add  from  two 
to  four  pounds  of  barwood  to  every  twenty  pounds  of  wool. 
As  much  madder  would  be  still  better  than  the  barwood. 

As  the  weld  plant  is  an  article  not  much  used  in  this  coun- 
try, I  would  beg  leave  to  observe,  that  by  using  about  half 
the  quantity  of  fustic,  the  body  of  the  colour  will  be  about 
the  same. 

Having  gone  through  all  that  will  be  necessary  for  colour- 
ing of  green  on  wool  and  woollen  cloth,  and  having  given 
ample  directions  for  each  class  of  that  colour,  I  shall  now 
proceed  to  give  recipes  for  producing  greens  on  cotton  and  silk. 


The  two  following  recijjes  are  for  dying  green  on  cotton. 
Cotton  for  this  colour  must  be  well  boiled  in  a  solution  of 
potash,  then  washed,  and  dyed  blue  in  the  copperas  vat,  to 

10 


110  RECIPES. 

the  shade  wanted.  When  it  comes  from  the  vat,  dry  it, 
wash  a  little,  and  dry  again ;  then  alum  as  for  red,  with  six 
ounces  of  alum  to  each  pound  of  cotton,  wash  and  dry  it. 
Boil  eight  ounces  of  fustic  for  each  pound  of  cotton ;  when 
well  boiled,  take  out  the  liquor,  put  it  in  a  proper  tub,  and 
when  you  can  bear  the  hand  in  it,  put  the  cotton  in,  turn 
it  eight  or  ten  times,  and  raise  it  out  of  the  liquor ;  then  dis- 
solve one  ounce  of  blue  vitriol  for  each  pound  of  cotton,  put 
it  into  the  fustic  liquor,  turn  the  cotton  into  it,  and  work  it 
round  eight  or  ten  times ;  then  turn  it  down,  let  it  lie  for 
twenty  or  thirty  minutes,  wring  out,  wash  and  dry,  and  it  is 
finished. 


Second  recipe,  is  cheaper,  in  which  part  of  the  blue  is  directed 
to  be  put  on  with  logwood. 

Boil  the  cotton  well,  wash  it,  and  give  it  a  light  ground  in 
the  cotton  blue  vat ;  boil  one  pound  of  fustic,  and  four  ounces 
of  logwood  to  each  pound  of  cotton  ;  after  boiling  well,  take 
off  the  clear  liquor,  and  when  you  can  bear  the  hand  in  it, 
turn  in  the  cotton  several  times ;  then  turn  it  down  into  the 
liquor  for  half  an  hour,  raise  out  on  a  pin,  and  let  it  drain. 
Dissolve,  for  each  pound  of  cotton,  half  an  ounce  of  verdigris, 
or  of  blue  vitriol,  pour  it  into  the  liquor,  stir  well,  and  turn 
in  the  cotton  as  before,  wring  out,  and  dry  in  the  shade.  By 
adding  or  diminishing  the  logwood  and  fustic,  any  shade  of 
green  may  be  obtained. 


To  colour  cotton  a  permanent  olive. 
It  is  not  requisite  that  the  cotton  be  bleached  for  this  colour, 
but  it  must  be  well  cleansed.  To  each  pound  of  cotton,  take 
three  quarts  of  water,  one  ounce  of  argol,  one  ounce  and  a 
half  of  copperas,  half  an  ounce  of  sugar  of  lead,  and  two 
ounces  of  blue  vitriol :  dissolve  these  together  in  the  warm 
water  ;  when  dissolved,  add  one  ounce  of  pounded  whiting,  a 
little  at  a  time ;  take  off  the  clear  liquor,  and  turn  in  the 
cotton,  work  well,  wring  out,  and  turn  in  again,  and  let  it  lie 
all  night ;  in  the  morning  wring  out,  wash  and  dry.  Boil 
Tor  each  pound  of  cotton,  one  pound  of  fustic,  turn  in  the 
cotton,  wring  out,  wash  and  dry.  It  is  now  finished,  but  if 
wanted  darker,  a  little  sumach  will  deepen  the  colour.  It 
may  be  made  lighter  or  darker,  by  adding  or  diminishing  the 


RECIPES.  Ill 

copperas.     If  the  drugs  are  dissolved  in  logwood  water,  the 
olive  will  be  greenish. 


To  colour  cotton  a  cheap  and  common  olive. 
For  this  colour,  the  cotton  is  began  and  worked  exactly 
the  same  as  for  chocolate ;  but,  instead  of  brazilletto,  you 
iTiust  give  it  fustic  liquor,  in  which  work  it  well.  For  a 
greenish  olive,  dissolve  for  each  pound  of  cotton,  one  ounce 
of  alum  ;  for  a  yellow  olive,  half  an  ounce  of  blue  vitriol ;  if 
for  a  very  green  olive,  add  a  little  logwood  liquor  ;  when  it 
^as  been  well  worked,  wring  out  on  a  pin,  and  give,  for  each 
pound,  half  an  ounce  of  blue  vitriol  ;  let  it  he  in  this  for  half 
an  hour,  turning  it  now  and  then,  wring  out,  and  dry. 


To  colour  silk  green. 
To  colour  silk  a  permanent  green,  it  is  previously  yellowed 
with  weld  and  alum,  and  made  to  the  pattern  wanted  in  a  blue 
vat — either  the  woad  or  ash  vat  will  answer,  but  the  ash  vat 
is  generally  used. 


For  a  Saxon  green  on  silk. 

Wash  out  of  soap-suds,  and  stick  up.     Boil  ground  green 

ebony  in  a  copper  vessel,  strain  off  through  a  tub  into  a  sieve, 

add  chymic  to  the  colour  wanted — to  be  used  with  very  little 

heat — wash  twice  in  cold  water,  wring  out,  hang  up  and  dry. 


For  a  handsome  green  on  silk,  for  ten  pounds. 

Take  two  pounds  of  alum,  and  four  pounds  of  quercitron- 
bark.  Dissolve  in  a  kettle,  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  two 
pounds  of  alum ;  then  pour  it  into  a  tub,  and  set  it  by  until 
wanted. 

While  engaged  in  preparing  the  above  solution,  the  silk 
must  be  color.red  in  the  vat,  to  a  handsome  light  blue ;  and, 
after  being  rinsed  in  a  stream,  wring  out,  and  steep  it  in  the 
abovementioned  alum  liquor ;  work  it  well  therein  for  two 
hours,  then  take  it  out,  wring,  and  lay  it  by  wet  for  further  use. 

Lastly,  put  four  pounds  of  quercitron-bark  in  a  kettle  with 
eight  buckets  of  water,  boil  it  well  for  three-quarters  of  an 
hour,  and  pour  the  liquor  through  a  sieve  into  a  tub. 


112  RECIPES. 

Pour  into  the  querciti'on  tub  as  much  chymic  as  will  be 
necessary  to  produce  the  required  green,  and  stir  the  whole 
well.  Steep  the  silk  in  this  liquor,  work  it  well  therein  for 
half  an  hour,  then  take  it  out,  wring,  and  dry. 

If  the  green  is  not  sufficiently  vivid,  add  a  small  quantity 
©f  turmeric  to  the  yellow  liquor. 

The  silk  must  not  be  dyed  too  deep  a  blue  in  the  vat,  as 
it  is  very  difficult  to  make  a  handsome  green  on  a  deep  blue. 
The  blue  should  be  of  a  light  shade,  and  the  green  regu- 
lated  by  adding  more  or  less  of  the  chymic. 


For  a  green  with  weld.  ' 

The  boiling  of  the  silk,  the  same  as  for  common  colours. 
After  which,  it  must  be  well  alumed,  then  rinsed,  and  dis- 
tributed in  hanks  of  four  or  five  ounces.  Make  a  strong 
decoction  of  weld,  so  as  to  give  a  good  lemon  colour.  The 
silk  is  to  be  worked  in  the  weld  bath,  till  it  has  attained  a 
sufficient  body. 

When  the  yellow  is  sufficiently  strong  and  even,  the  silk 
is  to  be  wrung,  washed  in  a  stream,  and  beetled.  The  silk 
is  then  to  be  dressed,  divided  into  hanks  suitable  for  the  vat, 
then  steeped,  one  after  another,  in  the  blue  vat,  and,  finally, 
wrung  and  dried  quickly  and  with  care. 

For  deeper  greens  of  this  shade,  add  a  portion  of  logwood, 
or  of  young  fustic,  to  the  weld. 

For  very  deep  greens,  such  as  duck  and  bottle  greens,  add 
a  little  copperas. 


To  colour  silk  a  dark  olive. 
Boil  with  coloured  soap,  and  wash  out  well ;  alum,  and  wash 
well ;  put  into  clear  warm  water  half  a  ladle  of  strong  fustic 
liquor,  the  same  quantity  of  strong  logwood  liquor,  give  the 
silk  a  few  turns  in  this,  and  it  will  be  a  good  olive.  If  wanted 
greener,  use  a  little  blue  vitriol,  wring  out  and  lather.  When 
the  olive  is  wanted  of  a  brown  hue,  it  will  do  without  a  lather. 


Having  given  an  assortment  of  recipes  for  such  colours  as 
are  the  product  of  blue  and  yellow,  we  shall  now  proceed  to 
that  class  of  colours  that  are  the  product  of  yellow  and  I'ed, 
which  will  include  scarlets,  buffs,  oranges,  auroras,  wine 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  113 

colours,  and  a  certain  class  of  browns,  &c.,  for  which  recipes 
will  be  given  in  the  order  they  are  here  mentioned. 


Of  scarlet  on  woollen. 

I  have  already  given  directions  for  preparing  the  tin  liquor. 
Those  who  are  desirous  of  having  their  colours  uniformly  of 
the  same  brilliant  hue,  must  be  particular  in  following  one 
uniform  mode  of  preparing  their  tin  liquor ;  for  the  least 
variation  m  this  particular,  will  make  a  sensible  difference 
in  the  colour. 

I  shall  give  two  recipes  for  producing  scarlets,  fi"om  my 
father's  practice ;  one  as  it  was  done  tliirty  years  since,  and 
the  other  of  modern  date.  A  third  will  be  given,  called 
Nash's  scarlet.  The  recipes  will  be  given  for  a  certain 
number  of  yards  of  broadcloth,  each  yard  weighing  about 
one  pound  five  ounces.  I  have  already  described  the  kind 
of  cochineal  that  must  be  used  to  produce  the  best  colours. 

It  will  be  necessary  to  give  directions  for  the  workmanship, 
before  giving  recipes  for  dying. 

In  dying  scarlet,  the  furnace,  if  of  copper  or  brass,  must 
be  kept  very  bright  and  clean.  The  same  attention  to  clean 
vessels,  must  be  observed  in  all  cases  where  bright  and  deli- 
cate colours  are  required.  If  the  vessel  be  of  block-tin,  the 
liquor  may  be  permitted  to  remain  in  the  furnace  from  one 
day  to  another ;  but  when  of  copper  or  brass,  it  must  be 
emptied  every  night,  scoured  quite  clean,  and  fresh  liquor 
made  the  succeeding  day.  This  direction  must  be  observed 
for  all  colours  where  solutions  of  tin  are  used,  as  well  as  for 
every  other  delicate  colour. 

A  willow  basket,  such  as  I  have  before  described,  is  used 
in  all  these  colours.  It  is  also  necessary  tc  cover  the  curb 
with  clean  white  canvass,  to  prevent  the  goods  from  receiving 
any  stain  from  the  curb.  The  canvass  should  be  secured  to 
the  top  of  the  basket,  and  hang  over  the  outside  of  the  curb 
against  the  furnace,  six  or  nine  inches.  The  reel  should  be 
made  of  clear  white  pine,  free  from  knots,  and  the  broading 
and  stopping  sticks  should  be  of  dry  white  ash,  without  bark. 
The  cloth,  after  having  run  its  proper  time  in  the  furnace, 
should  be  rapidly  wound  up  on  the  reel,  and  immediately 
thrown  off  into  a  back  of  cold  spring-water.  The  back  should 
be  of  an  oval  form,  about  three  feet  wide  in  the  centre,  a» 

10* 


114  RECIPES. 

long  as  the  cloth  is  wide,  and  made  of  some  clear  white  wood 
that  will  not  impart  any  stain  to  the  cloth.  The  cloth  is 
moved  rapidly  over  the  reel  all  the  time  it  is  in  the  furnace, 
and  must  be  kept  well  open  by  the  broadsmen.  The  liquor 
is  brought  to  boil  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  cloth  is  entered, 
and  kept  boiling  rapidly  until  the  colour  is  finished.  When 
taken  out,  it  is  immediately  streamed,  as  before  directed,  until 
quite  clean,  and  tentered  as  soon  after  as  possible. 

Before  a  new  liquor  begins  to  boil,  and  prior  to  any  thing 
being  added  to  it,  throw  into  the  furnace  one  pint  of  tin  liquor, 
and  two  or  three  quarts  of  wheat  bran ;  bring  the  liquor  to 
boil,  which  will  cause  the  bran  to  rise  to  the  top,  let  this  be 
scummed  off  clean  with  a  fine  sieve,  and  the  liquor  will  be 
ready  for  use. 

The  cream  of  tartar,  and  other  drugs  used  for  this  colour, 
should  be  ground  or  pounded  very  fine. 


For  dying  sixteen  pounds  of  woollen  a  bright  scarlet. 

Use  for  boiling,  half  a  pound  of  clear  pure  alum,  six  ounces 
of  turmeric,  six  ounces  of  cream  of  tartar,  one  pint  of  tin 
liquor,  (nitra-muriate  of  tin,)  and  three  ounces  and  a  half  of 
cochineal. 

The  alum  and  tartar  to  be  first  boiled  about  five  minutes, 
then  the  solution  of  tin  to  be  added  and  boiled  two  minutes, 
then  add  the  turmeric  and  cochineal,  and  boil  ten  minutes. 
Cool  the  liquor  down,  stir  well,  and  enter  the  cloth  rapidly ; 
put  on  the  fire,  and  bring  the  liquor  to  boil  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. Keep  it  rapidly  boiling  for  two  hours,  then  cool  the 
liquor  down,  wind  the  cloth  up  on  the  reel,  and  throw  it  out 
into  the  back,  as  before  mentioned  ;  then  let  the  cloth  be  well 
streamed,  and  while  that  is  doing,  add  to  the  boiling  liquor, 
one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  cream  of  tartar,  three-quarters  of 
a  pound  of  cochineal,  and  one  pint  of  tin  liquor.  Boil  the 
cream  of  tartar  and  tin  liquor  four  or  five  minutes,  put  in  the 
cochineal  and  boil  five  minutes ;  cool  down,  stir  well,  and 
enter  the  cloth,  taking  care  to  keep  it  in  rapid  motion,  and  well 
opened,  all  tlie  time  of  going  ;  boil  for  thirty  or  forty  minutes, 
cool  down,  and  throw  out  into  tlic  back,  as  before.  The  girt- 
web  has  now  to  be  taken  off  the  lists,  the  cloth  streamed  till 
thoroughly  cleaned,  and  then  tentered  as  soon  as  possible. 

Scarlets,  dyed  according  to  the  last  recipe,  were  rich  and 


RECIPES.  115 

full  bodied,  but  not  of  that  fine  flame  colour  which  is  required 
by  the  fashion  of  the  present  day.  Wlien  alum  is  used  with 
cochineal,  it  increases  the  body  of  the  colour,  and  gives  it  a 
blue  tint,  approaching  to  a  pink  colour. 


For  dying  sixteen  pounds  of  cloth  ajinejlame  coloured  scarlet. 

For  boiling,  use  ten  ounces  of  cream  of  tartar,  four  ounces 
of  turmeric,  one  pint  and  a  quarter  of  tin  liquor,  and  four 
ounces  of  cochineal. 

Put  these  ingredients  into  the  liquor,  successively,  as  directed 
for  the  above  recipe,  and  when  the  last  is  added,  boil  ten 
minutes,  cool  down,  stir  well,  and  throw  in  the  cloth  rapidly; 
boil  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  heave  out,  as  before  directed. 
Let  the  cloth  be  well  streamed,  and  while  that  is  doing,  bring 
the  liquor  on  to  a  boil,  and  add  for  the  finishing,  ten  ounces 
of  cream  of  tartar,  four  ounces  of  turmeric,  one  pint  and  a 
quarter  of  tin  liquor,  and  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  cochineal. 

Put  the  ingredients  in  as  directed  for  the  boiling,  cool  down, 
stir  well,  throw  in  the  cloth,  and  boil  rapidly  from  thirty 
minutes  to  one  hour,  according  to  the  colour  wanted ;  then 
throw  out  into  a  buck  of  water,  and  proceed  as  before. 

A  manufacturer,  of  the  name  of  Nash,  became  celebrated 
for  dying  a  scarlet,  and  a  colour  has  taken  its  name  from 
him,  being  called  Nash's  scarlet.  The  principal  difference, 
however,  between  his  colour  and  others  is,  that  the  cloth 
dyed  by  him  was  well  grounded,  the  colour  having  completely 
penetrated  through  the  thread  of  the  cloth  ;  this  advantage 
was  more  the  result  of  a  peculiar  mode  of  making  the  goods, 
than  of  any  superiority  in  the  dying.  The  warp,  as  I  have 
been  informed,  was  spun  with  as  little  twist  as  would  answer 
for  weaving,  and  the  filling  as  loose  as  could  be  spun  so  as 
to  follow  the  shuttle. 


For  dying  a  Nash  scarlet,  on  tioo  pieces  of  thirty-two  yards 
each,  iceighing  ninety-six  pounds. 

This  colour  has  two  boilings  before  the  finishing  operation. 
For  the  first  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  half  of  cream  of 
tartar,  two  quarts  of  tin  liquor,  one  pound  and  a  half  of  fine 
argol,  one  pound  of  turmeric,  and  one  pound  of  cochineal. 

Boil  the  ingredients  as  before,  cool  down,  throw  in  the 


116  RECIPES. 

cloth,  and  boil  one  hour.  It  has  to  be  boiled  a  second  time 
without  streaming,-  only  previously  cooling  the  cloth  by 
throwing  it  backwards  and  forwards. 

For  the  second  boiling,  use  eight  ounces  of  turmeric,  two 
quarts  of  tin  liquor,  three  pounds  of  cream  of  tartar,  and  one 
pound  of  cochineal. 

Proceed  as  before,  boil  two  hours,  take  out,  and  stream 
well ;  then  use,  for  tinishing,  five  pounds  of  cochineal,  three 
quarts  of  tin  liquor,  and  two  pounds  of  cream  of  tartar. 

Throw  in  the  cloth  as  before,  and  Boil  till  done,  which  will 
be  in  thirty  or  forty  minutes.  This  is  a  strong  rich  colour, 
and  being  boiled  two  hours  in  the  second  process,  and  the 
yarn  having  been  spun  loose,  is  so  much  better  grounded  than 
scarlets  commonly  are,  as  to  give  the  colour  the  appearance 
of  great  intensity. 

It  is  usual,  in  all  establishments  where  scarlet  dying  is 
carried  on  upon  a  large  scale,  to  colour  twenty  or  thirty 
pieces  in  one  day,  and  by  this  means  much  expense  is  saved. 
If  a  furnace  is  brought  on  early  in  the  morning,  some  pieces 
are  boiled,  or  prepared,  in  the  first  operation,  which  prepares 
the  liquor  for  finishing — for  a  bright  scarlet  never  can  be 
made  in  a  fresh  liquor.  Three  or  four  lots  that  were  boiled 
a  day  or  two  before,  are  then  finished  in  the  same  liquor, 
and  afterward  three  or  four  lots  of  white  pieces  are  boiled. 
The  first  lot  boiled  after  finishing,  needs  no  cochineal;  the 
others  follow  it,  until  the  whole  of  this  valuable  drug  is  taken 
out  of  the  finishing  liquor ;  tin  liquor,  cream  of  tartar,  and 
turmeric,  are  added  in  the  quantities  prescribed,  but  no 
cochineal,  except  for  the  second  boiling  ;  the  third  and  fourth 
lots  are  called  runs,  and  are  boiled  a  second  time.  Some- 
times a  whole  day  is  employed  in  boiling,  when  the  practice 
prescribed  in  the  recipes  given  for  boiling  is  followed,  except 
for  the  two  last,  in  which  the  cochineal  is  left  out. 


To  colour  scarlet  with  the  colouring  matter  of  the  stick  lac, 
knoion  in  the  market  hy  the  name  of  lac-dye. — See  lac-reds, 
&c.   pp.  87—90. 

As  cotton  is  never  dyed  scarlet,  we  sliall  proceed  with 
silk. 

Boil  twenty  pounds  of  silk,  in  a  liquor  with  four  pounds  of 
black  soap,  for  three  hours.     Take  any  quantity  of  annattc^ 


RECIPES.  117 

ground  fine — to  each  pound,  add  four  ounces  of  pearlash ; 
these  are  to  be  ground  together  in  a  copper  pan,  with  copper 
balls,  after  the  same  manner  as  indigo.  Bring  your  water 
to  a  boil,  take  of  the  annatto  liquor  one  or  two  bowls,  which  add 
to  the  boiling  water,  put  your  silk  in  at  a  spring  heat,  and  it 
will  soon  become  a  good  orange.  Take  the  silk  out  of  the 
furnace,  hang  it  up  over  it,  so  that  the  liquor  which  drains 
off  may  run  into  the  furnace.  When  drained,  wash  the  silk 
in  four  warm  waters,  and  hang  up  six  knots  on  each  stick. 
Take  of  the  tin  liqu*  one  pint,  add  it  to  water  of  a  good 
heat,  and  this  will  be  sufficient  for  ten  pounds  of  silk  ;  give  a 
few  turns,  wash  out  and  stick  up.  Then  take  one  pound  and 
a  half  of  well-ground  cochineal,  put  it  into  a  bell-tub,  and  fill 
it  up  with  boiling  water;  give  the  silk  a  few  turns  in  this, 
and  it  will  come  out  a  fine  scarlet. 


To  dye  a  mock-scarlet  on  silk. 
Orange  the  same  as  for  real  scarlet,  wash  and  stick  up  as 
before.  Add  some  strong  alum  liquor  to  boiling  water,  turn 
the  orange  in  this  liquor  for  three  hours,  wash  in  two  cold 
waters  and  stick  up.  Take  of  a  liquor  made  from  Brazil 
wood,  previously  boiled,  two  pails,  soak  sumach  in  a  tub,  and 
strain  off  a  ladleful.  These  two  will  finish  off  the  orange  a 
good  mock-scarlet.     When  dark  enough,  wring  out  and  drv. 


Recipes  for  huff. 

The  yellow  for  dying  of  buff  is  obtained  from  old  fustic. 
The  best  sticks  used  are  such  as  are  new  and  sound,  being 
selected  for  this  purpose.  The  outside  of  the  logs  is  split 
off,  and  the  heart  of  the  wood  is  ground  very  fine,  and  sold 
to  the  dyer  at  double  the  usual  price,  for  dying  of  buff  and 
other  fine  colours.  A  good  buff  dyer  is  more  rare  than  a 
good  scarlet  dyer,  and  goods  for  this  colour  are  sent  from 
London  and  other  parts  of  England,  a  distance  of  more  than 
two  hundred  miles,  to  a  dyer  in  the  west  of  England  who  is 
celebrated  for  dying  this  colour.  It  would  be  supposed  that 
a  colour  requiring  only  fustic  yellow,  and  a  little  best  madder, 
could  be  well  done  any  where,  did  not  experience  prove  it  to 
be  erroneous. 

The  cloth  intended  for  buff,  must  be  examined,  spotted  and 


118  RECIPES. 

cleaned  the  same  as  for  scarlet,  and  that  which  is  not  per- 
fectly free  from  spots  and  stains,  cannot  be  used  for  this  colour, 
as  the  least  defect  will  be  seen  when  finished.  Cloth  for  buff 
must  be  finished  shearing  before  it  is  dyed. 

The  same  precautions,  to  keep  the  goods  from  coming  in 
contact  with  the  metal,  and  curb  of  the  furnace,  are  used  in 
this  colour  as  in  the  scarlet  dye.  Buff  is  more  liable  than 
any  other  colour  to  become  spotted,  when  it  comes  in  contact 
with  any  material  that  can  impart  a  stain  to  it ;  the  utmost 
caution,  therefore,  should  be  used  to  prevent  this. 


Recipe  for  tiventy -seven  jmunds  of  fine  cloth. 

Use  one  pound  of  argol,  one  pound  of  alum,  two  pounds 
of  tin  liquor,  half  a  pound  of  ground  fustic,  and  one  ounce 
of  best  crop  madder. 

Boil  the  ingredients  as  directed  for  scarlet,  heave  in  the 
goods,  keep  them  rapidly  in  motion,  and  boil  until  of  the 
desired  colour.  If  this  colour  should  not  be  strong  enough, 
use  more  fustic  and  madder ;  if  too  red,  use  more  fustic  and 
less  madder;  if  not  red  enough,  use  more  madder  and  less 
fustic.     By  these  means,  any  body  or  shade  may  be  obtained. 

I  have  never  known  wool  to  be  dyed  buff  for  cloth  of  one 
colour,  but  as  it  is  often  made  for  mixtures  and  striped  goods, 
such  as  vest  patterns,  &c.,  I  shall  add  a  recipe  to  produce  it. 


For  a  htff  on  one  hundred  and  tioenly  pounds  of  wool. 

Take  fourteen  pounds  of  weld,  boil  it  half  an  hour,  take 
out  the  weld,  stir  well  and  heave  in  the  wool ;  boil  it  two 
hours  and  land  ;  add  to  the  liquor  one  pound  of  alum,  cool 
down,  heave  in  the  wool,  boil  it  one  hour,  land  and  wash. 

This  will  be  a  pale  yellow  buff,  the  shade  of  which  may 
be  changed  to  a  red  hue,  by  using  a  small  quantity  of  madder. 

Buffs  may  be  coloured  on  wool  with  fustic  and  madder,  as 
it  is  done  on  cloth,  leaving  out  the  greater  part  of  the  tin 
liquor,  which,  when  applied  strong,  makes  the  wool  harsh 
and  difficult  to  spin. 

For  a  huff  colour  on  cotton. 

Cotton  for  buff  should  be  bleached.  For  each  pound  of 
cotton  take  one  quart  of  iron  liquor,  and  four  of  water ;  put 


RECIPES.    •  119 

it  into  a  copper  or  brass  vessel,  add  to  the  iron  liquor  six 
ounces  of"  copperas,  and  one  ounce  of  sui^ar  of  lead ;  when 
5'ou  can  bear  the  hand  in  the  liquor,  turn  in  the  cotton,  work 
it  well,  squeeze  out,  and  turn  it  in  again ;  then  let  it  lay  all 
night,  taking  care  tliat  the  cotton  be  completely  covered  with 
the  liquor.  In  the  morning,  wring  it  out  and  dry  quick, 
spreading  it  well  on  the  drying  poles.  Take  fresh  made 
lime-water,  turn  in  the  cotton  as  quick  as  possible,  and  wet 
it  completely.  When  raised  to  the  colour  wanted,  wring 
out,  wash,  and  it  is  finished.  If  the  colour  should  not  be 
full  enough,  put  in  more  iron  liquor  and  copperas,  and  less 
water.  If  it  be  too  strong,  put  in  less  of  those  ingredients, 
and  more  water ;  by  which  means  a  great  variety  of  shades 
may  be  obtained. 

It  would  answer  a  much  better  purpose,  after  the  cotton 
has  received  the  iron  liquor,  and  has  been  dryed,  to  run  it 
through  a  chlorine  water,  as  described  for  black  and  Prus- 
sian blue.  Two  pounds  of  bleaching  powders,  first  stirred 
into  four  gallons  of  water,  and  when  settled  clear,  to  pour 
the  liquor  into  a  hogshead  of  Nvater,  will  be  all  that  is  wanted. 


For  a  salmon  colour  on  cotton. 
The  cotton  must  be  white — prepare  as  usual.  Boil  for 
each  pound  of  cotton,  one  ounce  of  cream  of  tartar,  for  fif- 
teen or  twenty  minutes,  add  to  it  water  enough  to  turn  in  the 
cotton,  work  it  for  half  an  hour,  and  wring  out.  Then  turn 
it  into  a  liquor  prepared  the  same  as  for  orange,  only  about 
half  the  strength,  work  quick  and  even ;  when  well  worked, 
wring  out  evenly,  and  turn  it  into  the  cream  of  tartar  liquor 
again,  work  quick  until  it  receives  a  nice  salmon  colour, 
wring  out  and  dry  in  a  warm  room. 


For  a  brimstone,  or  strata  colour,  on  cotton. 
The  cotton  must  be  white.  To  each  pound,  dissolve  one 
ounce  of  alum,  turn  in  several  times,  and  then  turn  down  for 
half  an  hour,  wring  out  gently  and  even.  It  must  now  have 
a  clear  and  slender  fustic  licjuor,  turn  it  over  quick  at  first, 
and  turn  it  into  the  alum  liquor  again  ten  or  twelve  times, 
wring  out  evenly,  dry  in  a  stove  in  the  winter,  and  in  the 
shade  in  the  summer. 


120  RECIPES. 

For  a  straio  colour  on  silk. 

Boil  until  white,  wash,  wring  out  and  stick  up.  Prepare 
a  strong  ebony  liquor  by  well  boiling,  take  a  ladleful  of  this 
liquor,  which  will  dye  about  ten  pounds,  give  it  five  or  six 
tui-ns  in  this  when  diluted  with  water,  and  if  the  ebony  does 
not  work  green  enough,  put  into  the  liquor  a  very  small 
quantity  of  chymic,  and  finish  by  stoving  with  sulphur. 


A  nankeen  colour  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  two  pounds  of  fine  galls,  one  ounce  and  a  half  of 
annatto,  four  ounces  of  potash,  and  half  a  pound  of  soap. 

Put  one  pound  of  finely-pounded  galls  in  a  kettle  of  eight 
buckets  of  water,  and  boil  it  about  ten  minutes,  then  take 
out  the  liquor,  and  run  it  through  a  sieve  into  a  vat. 

While  thus  employed,  let  half  a  pound  of  soap  be  dissolved 
in  a  bucket  of  warm  wa<^er,  and  pour  the  solution  into  the 
liquor  of  the  galls. 

Then  put  into  a  crock  of  water  one  ounce  of  annatto,  and 
four  ounces  of  potash  ;  boil  for  half  an  hour,  add  one  half 
of  it  to  the  liquor  of  the  galls  in  the  vat,  and  stir  the  whole 
well ;  steep  the  silk  in  the  liquor,  and  work  it  well  therein  for 
a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Examine  the  silk,  and  should  it  not 
have  the  necessary  redness,  add  as  much  of  the  annatto 
liquor  to  it  as  you  may  deem  necessary,  to  give  the  colour 
the  desired  tint.  Then  put  the  silk  in  again,  and  work  it 
well  for  a  quaiier  of  an  hour,  take  it  out,  rinse  and  dry  it. 

The  nankeen  coloured  silk  must  not  remain  long  without 
being  rinsed,  as  this  would  create  stains  in  it. 


Recipes  for  orange  and  aurora. 

When  woollen  yarn  and  cloth  are  dyed  orange  or  aurora, 
they  are  usually  boiled  in  a  spent  liquor,  after  scarlet  or  buff. 

For  sixteen  pounds  of  cloth  for  a  fine  orange.  Boil  in  an 
old  buff  liquor,  two  pounds  of  young  fustic  chips,  (Venice 
sumach,)  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  best  madder,  one  pound 
of  cream  of  tartar,  three-eighths  of  a  pint  of  tin  liquor,  and 
half  an  ounce  of  cochineal. 

The  chips  to  be  well  boiled  before  the  other  ingredients 
are  added  ;  after  boiling  the  other  wares  for  a  few  minutes, 


RECIPES.  121 

cool  ll>e  liquor  down,  stir  well,  throw  in  the  cloth,  and  boil 
till  up  to  the  pattern. 


For  an  orange  on  sixty  pounds  of  fine  cloth,  in  a  spent  scarlet 
liquor. 

Use  eight  pounds  of  young  fustic  chips,  four  pounds  of 
cream  of  tartar,  three  pounds  of  best  madder,  half  an  ounce 
of  cochineal,  and  one  pint  of  tin  liquor.  Boil  the  chips,  and 
proceed  as  before. 

Auroras  are  dyed  the  same  as  oranges,  except  with  less 
madder,  and  an  additional  quantity  of  cochineal.  Some 
auroras  approach  very  nearly  to  the  scarlet  colour,  having 
a  greater  body  of  yellow. 

Oranges  and  auroras,  when  done  in  a  liquor  prepared  on 
purpose,  require  more  cream  of  tartar,  tin  liquor,  and  cochi- 
neal, than  is  prescribed  in  the  foi'egoing  recipes. 


For  a  common  orange  on  four  pieces  of  flannel. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pint  of  tin  liquor,  and  two  pounds 
of  argol.  Give  a  body  with  young  fustic,  and  redden  to  pat- 
tern with  madder  of  the  first  quality. 

Wool  is  seldom  dyed  of  an  orange  colour,  but  as  it  may 
be  wanted  sometimes  for  mixtures,  I  will  give  the  only  recipe 
my  collection  affords. 


For  an  orange  on  nineteen  pounds  of  wool. 
Take  three  pounds  of  alum,  boil  it  one  hour,  cdfcl  down, 
stir,  throw  in  the  wool,  boil  two  hours,  and  let  it  lie  all  night. 
In  the  morning  wash  it,  and  finish  in  a  fresh  liquor,  with  ten 
pounds  of  weld,  and  three  pounds  of  madder  ;  boil  it  seven  or 
ten  minutes,  and  land. 


For  an  orange  on  cotton. 
The  cotton  for  this  colour  should  be  white.  To  each  pound 
of  cotton  take  two  ounces  of  annatto,  grind  with  water  in  a 
brass  kettle,  as  indigo  is  ground,  wasli  it  out  into  another 
kettle,  or  pan,  and  add  an  equal  quantity  of  pearlash  ;  boil 
for  J^alf  an  hour,  turn  in  tlie  cotton,  wring  out,  and  dry  in  a 
stove,  or  in  the  shade  ;  the  more  of  annatto  is  used,  the  richer 

n 


122  RECIPES. 

and  finer  will  be  the  colour.  The  liquor  should  not  be 
thrown  away  after  the  working,  but  used  with  another  quan- 
tity, by  adding  more  of  the  material  to  the  old  liquor  after 
boiling,  which  will  be  a  saving  of  one-third. 


Chrome-orange  on  cotton. 

For  one  hundred  pounds  of  cotton  yarn,  take  twenty-four 
pounds  of  nitrate  of  lead,  dissolve  in  fifty  gallons  of  water, 
then  take  eight  pounds  of  bichromate  of  potash,  which  dis- 
solve in  six  gallons  of  water.  Make  up  your  tubs  in  the 
same  way  as  directed  for  yellow.  Make  up  another  tub  of 
lime-water,  and  use  the  lead  and  chrome  liquors  as  directed 
for  yellow,  with  the  same  proportions.  Work  the  yarn,  in 
ten  pound  bundles,  first  in  the  lead,  then  in  the  lime-water , 
again  through  the  lead,  then  in  the  lime-water,  and  again 
through  the  lead  ;  enter  your  yarn  into  the  chrome  tub,  after- 
ward through  the  lead,  and  then  through  the  chrome  again. 
Have  a  furnace  filled  with  lime-water,  brought  to  a  boiling 
heat,  and  enter  your  yarn  into  it,  bundle  after  bundle,  always 
adding  fresh  lime-water  for  every  bundle ;  wash  out  in  cold 
water,  and  it  is  finished. 

All  the  tubs,  both  in  the  yellow  and  orange,  are  warmed 
to  100°  Fahrenheit. 

The  sediment  of  the  chrome  tubs  is  sold  to  painters ;  the 
liquors,  after  dying,  are  thrown  into  hogsheads  to  settle. 

Fawns,  of  a  very  delicate  shade,  are  made  by  preparing 
the  yarn  with  sumach,  and  finishing  in  the  liquor  from  th« 
hogsheads. 

To  colour  silk  an  orange. 

Orange  colour  is  obtained  with  soda  and  annatto,  and  by 
working  in  this  liquor  until  the  desired  colour  is  complete. 


For  a  deep  orange  yelloio  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 
Take  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  alum,  eight  pounds  ol 
safflower,  and  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum.  Dissolve  the 
alum  in  a  kettle  containing  ten  buckets  of  water;  then  pour 
the  solution  into  a  tub,  steep  the  silk  in  it,  work  it  well  therein 
for  half  an  hour,  wring  it,  lay  it  by  in  its  wet  state,  for  further 
use,  and  throw  away  the  solution  of  alum.     Put  ten  buckets 


REaPES.  123 

of  fresh  water  into  a  kettle,  add  eight  pounds  of  safflower,  and 
a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum  ;  boil  for  half  an  hour,  run  the 
decoction  througli  a  sieve  into  a  tub,  steep  the  silk  in  the 
liquor,  work  it  well  therein  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  wring 
out,  and  dry  it ;  fix  it  on  the  wringing  post,  wring  and  beat 
it  well,  and  it  is  finished. 

With  the  remains  of  the  above  liquor,  a  pale  yellow  may 
be  obtained. 


To  dye  cinnamon  colours. 

For  fifty  pounds  of  fine  cloth,  for  a  bright  cinnamon,  use 
seven  pounds  and  a  half  of  alum,  one  pound  and  a  half  of 
argol,  and  nine  pounds  of  redwood.  Boil  the  wares  two  hours, 
cool  down,  stir,  throw  in  the  cloth,  and  boil  one  hour. 

For  a  darker  cinnamon,  on  the  same  weight  of  cloth,  use 
seven  pounds  of  alum,  two  pounds  of  argol,  six  pounds  of  fustic, 
ten  pounds  of  barwood,  and  eight  pounds  of  redwood.  Boil 
the  wares  two  hours,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and  boil  cfs  before. 

The  hue  and  body  of  cinnamon  may  be  varied,  by  using 
more  or  less  of  fustic,  and  the  other  dye-woods. 

Cloth,  for  cinnamon,  is  oftentimes  prepared  with  umbro 
madder,  alum,  and  argol,  and  then  finished  with  fustic,  red- 
wood and  barwood  in  another  liquor,  and  these  are  the  best 
and  most  permanent  colours. 


To  dye  wool  cinna?non  colours. 
For  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  of  wool,  use  fifty 
pounds  of  fustic,  sixty  pounds  of  red  sanders,  and  six  pounds 
of  madder.  Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in 
the  wool,  boil  it  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  strew  over  four 
pounds  and  a  half  of  ground  cream  of  tartar,  and  four  pounds 
and  a  half  of  alum ;  boil  an  hour,  and  let  lie  all  night. 


For  a  cinnamon  of  a  fuller  colour,  and  more  on  the  red. 

For  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of  wool,  use  twenty- 
four  pounds  of  fustic,  and  forty-two  pounds  of  red  sanders. 

Boil  the  dye-wares  and  the  wool  as  for  the  last,  then  strew 
over  fifteen  pounds  of  alum,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  it  lie  in 
all  night ;  wash  the  wool  the  next  morning,  and  finish  in  a 


124  RECIPES. 

fresh  liquor,  with  thirty  pounds  of  umbro  madder.     This  is 
a  very  rich  colour,  and  is  never  applied  but  on  fine  goods. 


For  a  very  bright  cinnamon  on  twenty  pounds  of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  nutgalls,  five 

pounds  of  fustic,  and  four  pounds  of  red  sanders. 

Proceed  as  before  directed  for  boiling.    For  saddening,  use 

one  ounce  and  a  quarter  of  copperas,  and  two  ounces  of  alum, 

boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


The  two  following  recipes  are  for  two  lots  of  very  bright  cin- 
namon, done  in  succession  in  the  same  liquor. 

For  ninety-three  pounds  of  wool,  use  forty-five  pounds  of 
barwood,  twenty-seven  pounds  of  fustic,  and  five  pounds  of 
alum. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  and  the  wool  twenty  minutes, 
land  it,  a'hd  then  add  to  the  same  liquor,  for  a  second  lot  of 
wool  of  eighty  pounds,  twenty-eight  pounds  of  barwood,  and 
seven  pounds  of  fustic.  Boil  the  wares  and  wool  as  before, 
cool  down,  and  strew  over  it  six  pounds  of  alum,  boil  half  an 
hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 

Cinnamon  on  cotton  is  dyed  by  first  colouring  it  yellow, 
and  then  red,  as  given  in  the  recipes  for  those  colours.  If 
the  colour  should  not  prove  bright  enough,  work  it  in  soap- 
suds, wring  out,  dry,  and  it  is  finished. 


To  dye  a  cinnamon  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  half  a  pound  of  nutgalls,  two  pounds  and  a  half  of 
alum,  half  a  pound  of  argol,  and  four  pounds  of  madder. 

Put  into  a  kettle  eight  buckets  of  water  and  the  nutgalls, 
let  it  boil  fifteen  minutes,  run  it  through  a  sieve  into  a  vat, 
steep  the  silk  in  this  decoction,  and  work  it  well  therein  for 
about  two  hours,  after  which,  take  it  out,  rinse,  dry  it,  and 
then  alum  it.  Put  into  a  kettle  ten  buckets  of  water,  add  the 
madder,  and  work  the  silk  well  in  this  liquor  until  it  begins 
to  boil,  then  take  it  out,  rinse,  and  dry  it.  Lastly  :  dye  it 
in  a  strong  yellow  liquor,  and  it  will  be  a  good  bright  cinna- 
mon. The  yellow  may  be  used  with  the  madder,  which  will 
save  time  and  fuel. 


RECIPES.  125 

To  dye  a  beautiful  cinnamon  on  both  cotton  and  silk,  by  a  new 
process. 
Give  the  goods  as  much  colour,  from  a  solution  of  blue 
vitriol,  as  it  will  take  up,  then  run  it  through  lime-water.  This 
will  make  a  beautiful  sky-blue,  of  much  durability.  It  has 
now  to  be  run  through  a  solution  of  prussiate  of  potash,  when 
it  will  be  a  beautiful  brown. 


To  dye  f axon  colours  on  woollens. 

For  sixty  pounds  of  cloth,  use  four  pounds  of  alum,  two 
pounds  of  cream  of  tartar,  four  ounces  of  logwood,  one  pound 
of  peachwood,  and  one  pound  of  fustic. 

Boil  the  ingredients  two  hours,  and  the  cloth  two,  heave 
out,  and  sadden  to  pattern  with  copperas. 


For  a  faxon  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  five  ounces  of  argol,  nine  ounces  of 
redwood,  three  ounces  of  fustic,  seven-eighths  of  an  ounce 
of  Brazil  wood,  and  seven-eighths  of  an  ounce  of  logwood. 

Boil  the  ingredients  two  hours,  and  the  wool  two,  cool 
down  the  liquor,  and  sadden  with  three  ounces  of  alum,  and 
six  ounces  of  copperas ;  boil  half  an  hour,  and  if  dark  enough, 
land,  if  not,  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  fawn  on  sixty  pounds  of  wool,  not  quite  so  red  as  the 
last. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  of  weld,  one-quarter  of 
a  pound  of  ground  fustic,  seven  pounds  of  umbro  madder, 
two  pounds  of  best  argol,  half  a  pound  of  tin  liquor,  and  one- 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum. 

Boil  the  ingredients  one  hour,  and  the  wool  one  hour ;  cool 
down  and  strew  over  two  ounces  of  copperas,  and  one  ounce 
of  pearlash  ;  boil  half  an  hour,  fill  up  with  cold  water,  and 
let  lie  all  night. 

For  a  fawn  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  still  less  on  the  red  hue. 
For  the  boiling,  use  half  a  pound  of  weld,  half  an  ounce 
of  fustic,  half  an  ounce  of  logwood.,  seven  ounces  of  best 
madder,  and  two  ounces  of  argol. 

11* 


126  RECIPES. 

Boil  the  ingredients  one  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  let  it  be  two  hours  in  coming  to  a  boil ;  then  boil  two  hours, 
and  cool  down ;  strew  over  one  ounce  of  alum,  boil  one- 
quarter  of  an  hour,  cool  down  again  and  strew  on  one  ounce 
and  a  quarter  of  copperas,  and  half  an  ounce  of  pearlash  ; 
boil  half  an  hour,  cool  down,  run  off  the  liquor  and  wash. 


To  dye  silk  a  fawn  colour. 
Prepare  the  same  as  for  drab,  stick  up  three  on  each  stick, 
strike  a  lather  with  hot  suds,  put  into  it  a  little  annatto,  which 
will  make  a  buff,  wash  out  in  two  warm  waters,  and  stick  up  ; 
take  a  warm  liquor,  put  into  it  two  pails  of  spent  orchille 
liquor,  half  a  ladle  of  fustic  liquor,  and  a  ladle  of  argol 
liquor ;  stir  well,  take  a  piece  of  the  buff  silk,  dip  in,  and  if 
not  dark  enough,  add  a  little  more  of  each  material :  the  argol 
raises  the  orchille — some  use  oil  of  vitriol.  A  ladle  holds 
from  four  to  five  quarts. 


To  dye  browns  on  icoollens,  such  colours  as  have  no  blue  in  their 
composition,  being  compounded  of  red  and  yelloio. 

For  a  brown  on  one  piece  of  cloth,  weighing  forty-eight 
pounds,  use  seven  pounds  of  alum,  nine  pounds  of  logwood, 
and  two  pounds  of  argol. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up  with  cold  water  so  as  to 
have  in  quite  cool,  boil  the  goods  two  hours,  heave  them  out 
and  cool  by  throwing ;  then  roll  the  cloth  up  and  let  lay 
until  the  next  day.  Prepare  a  fresh  liquor  with  seven  pounds 
of  alum,  twelve  pounds  of  barwood,  and  one  pound  of  pearlash. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  cloth,  bring 
the  liquor  to  a  spring  heat,  but  not  to  boil  out ;  run  at  that 
heat  for  one  hour,  and  it  is  finished. 

It  is  usual  in  English  dye-houses  to  boil  a  number  of  cloths 
in  the  preparation  liquor,  and  finish  them  afterward  in  the 
fresh  liquor,  successively. 


For  a  very  dark  rioli  brown  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling  use  six  pounds  and  three-quarters  of  fiistic, 
six  pounds  and  three-quarters  of  red  sanders,  and  one  pound 
and  three-quarters  of  madder. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool  and 


RECIPES.  127 

boil  it  two  hours,  cool  down  and  sadden  with  one-quartor  of 
a  pound  of  copperas,  and  five  ounces  of  alum ;  boil  half  an 
hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


jFbr  a  darker  and  richer  brown  on  one  hundred  and  twenty 
jiounds  of  loool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  half  of  powdered 
nutgalls,  thirty  pounds  of  redwood,  and  twelve  pounds  of  red 
Sanders. 

.Boil  the  wares  and  wool  as  before,  sadden  with  one  pound 
and  a  half  of  copperas,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all 
niffht. 


For  a  lighter  brown  than  either  of  the  above,  for  sixty. eight 
jjoimds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  pounds  and  one-third  of  nutgalls, 
eighteen  pounds  of  red  sanders,  and  four  pounds  and  a  half 
of  peachwood. 

Boil  the  ingredients  two  hours,  the  wool  two,  run  up,  and 
add  three-eighths  of  a  pound  of  copperas ;  boil  one-quarter  of 
an  hour,  cool  down  again,  and  strew  over  three  pounds  of 
alum ;   boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  dark  broicn  for  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of 
wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  seventy  pounds  of  chipped  fustic, 
seventeen  pounds  and  a  half  of  barwood,  and  four  pounds  of 
logwood. 

Boil  the  dye-wares  two  hours,  the  wool  two,  cool  down 
and  sadden  with  three  pounds  of  copperas,  and  one  pound 
and  a  half  of  alum ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  dark  rich  brown,  for  sixteen  pounds  of  wool — this 
is  a  claret  brown. 

For  the  boiling,  use  fourteen  pounds  of  barwood.  Boil 
the  dye-wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool  and  boil 
it  two  hours,  cool  down  and  sadden  with  twelve  ounces  of 
copperas,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


128  RECIPES. 

For  a  rich  copper  brown  for  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds 
of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  sixty  pounds  of  fustic,  and  eighty 
pounds  of  barvvood. 

Boil  the  dye-wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  three  hours ;  cool  down  and  sadden  with  seven 
pounds  of  copperas,  and  three  pounds  of  alum,  boil  one  hour, 
and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  dark  rich  brown  for  sixteen  pounds  of  wool. ' 
For  the  boiling,  use  ten  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  six  pounds 

of  barwood,  seven  pounds  of  peach  wood,  and  half  a  pound 

of  logwood. 

Boil  the  wares  as  usual,  run  up,  boil  the  wool  three  hou-rs, 

cool  down  and  sadden  with  ten  ounces  of  copperas ;  boil  one 

hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  rich  broxtm,  lighter  than  the  preceding,  for  sixteen 
jjounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  six  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  three 
pounds  of  barwood,  two  pounds  of  redwood,  and  two  pounds 
of  logwood. 

The  wares  to  boil  two  hours,  run  up,  enter  the  wool  and 
boil  it  three  hours ;  cool  down  and  sadden  with  four  ounces 
of  alum,  two  ounces  of  argol,  and  two  ounces  of  copperas; 
boil  three  hours,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  rich  brown,  yellower  than  the  last,  for  three  hundred 
pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boilingf  use  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds  orf 
chipped  fustic,  ninety  pounds  of  weld,  ten  pounds  of  com- 
mon madder,  five  pounds  of  redwood,  and  two  pounds  of 
logwood. 

'Wares  to  boil  as  usual,  run  up,  enter  the  wool,  and  boil  it 
three  hours ;  cool  down  and  sadden  with  nine  pounds  of  alum, 
ten  pounds  of  redwood,  ten  pounds  of  barwood,  and  three 
pounds  of  copperas ;  boil  one  hour  and  a  half,  and  let  lie  in 
all  night. 


RECIPES.  129 

For  a  rich  brotcn,  between  the  t7vo  last,  for  three  hundred  and 
ffty  founds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of' 
chipped  fustic,  eighty-four  pounds  of  common  madder,  and 
three  pounds  of  argol. 

Wares  to  boil  as  usual,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  it  two  hours ;  cool  down  juid  sadden  with  three  pounds 
of  alum,  three  pounds  of  coj)peras,  and  fifteen  pounds  of 
barwood  ;   boil  two  iiours,  i.md  let  lie  in  all  night. 

The  three  last  recipes  afford  remarkably  rich  browns. 

For  a  rich  claret  brown,  approaching  to  a  plum  colour,  for 
sixteen  pounds  of  wool. 
Use  for  the  boiling,  eighteen  pounds  of  barwood,  and  two 
pounds  of  logwood. 

Boil  the  wares  as  usual,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  it  two  hours ;  cool  down  and  sadden  with  ten  ounces  of 
argol,  and  ten  ounces  of  copperas  ;  boil  two  hours,  and  let 
lie  in  all  night.  

For  a  light  rich  red  brown  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds 
of  loool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  forty  pounds  of  fustic,  seven  pounds 
of  red  Sanders,  and  six  pounds  of  madder. 

Boil  the  wares  as  usual,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  it  two  hours  ;  cool  down  and  sadden  with  one  pound  of 
copperas,  two  pounds  of  alum,  and  twelve  ounces  of  logwood; 
boil  one  or  two  hours,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  lighter  broicn  than  the  above,  on  one  hundred  and  twenty 
])Ounds  of  toool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  thirty -five  pounds  of  fustic,  three 
pounds  of  red  sanders,  and  eight  pounds  of  madder. 

P>oil  the  wares  three  hours,  proceed  as  usual,  and  sadden 
with  twelve  ounces  of  copperas,  and  three  pounds  of  alum ; 
boil  forty-five  minutes,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 

For  a  deep  rich  broicn  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of 

2C00l. 

For  the  boiling,  use  forty  pounds  of  fustic,  eight  pounds  of 
madder  and  fourteen  pounds  of  red  sanderst 


130  RECIPES. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  three  hours ;  sadden  with  two  pounds  and  four  ounces 
of  copperas,  and  one  pound  and  eight  ounces  of  alum ;  boil 
one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  bright  yellow  brown  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds 
of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  twenty -six  pounds  of  fustic,  four  pounds 
of  red  Sanders,  and  ten  pounds  of  madder. 

Boil  as  usual,  and  sadden  with  seventeen  ounces  of  cop- 
peras, and  two  pounds  of  alum ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  all 
night. 

For  a  strong  red  brown  on  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds 

of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  thirty  pounds  of  fustic,  and  twenty 
pounds  of  red  sanders. 

Boil  as  usual,  and  sadden  with  twenty  ounces  of  copperas; 
boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  all  night. 


For  a  light  red  broion  on  one  hundred  and  twenty-two  pounds 
of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  eight  ounces  of  nutgalls,  twenty-eight 
pounds  of  fustic,  and  twenty  pounds  of  red  sanders. 

Boil  as  usual,  and  sadden  with  seven  ounces  of  copperas, 
and  twelve  ounces  of  alum ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all 
night.  

For  a  light  brilliant  broion  for  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
pounds  of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  seventy  pounds  of  fustic,  ten  pounds 
of  red  sanders,  and  six  pounds  of  fine  madder. 

Boil  as  usual,  and  sadden  with  four  ounces  of  copperas, 
and  three  pounds  and  three-quarters  of  alum ;  boil  one  hour, 
and  let  lie  all  niffht. 


For  a  light  yellow  brown  for  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight 
pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  seventy  pounds  of  fustic,  and  two 
pounds  and  eight  ounces  of  logwood. 


RECIPES.  131 

Boil  as  usual,  and  sadden  with  one  pound  of  copperas,  and 
three  pounds  of  alum  ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 
It  The  light   browns  are  mostly   used    for   pantaloons   and 
mixtures.  

The  two  following  recipes  are  for  red  browns  for  mixtures. 
The  first  one  is  for  a  dead  red  brown,  and  the  second  for  a 
bright  red  brown  inclining  to  yellow. 

The  first  is  for  eighty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  eight  ounces  of  nutgalls,  eight  pounds 
of  madder,  and  sixteen  pounds  of  red  sanders. 

Boil  as  usual,  and  sadden  with  four  ounces  of  copperas ; 
boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


The  second  is  for  two  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  thirty-six  pounds  of  alum,  and  one 
hundred  and  sixty  pounds  of  fustic. 

Boil  the  wool  two  hours,  land  and  wash. 

Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  and  give  it  twenty-eight  pounds  of 
fine  madder ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  deep  and  rich  claret,  for  two  hundred  and  sixty 
pounds  of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  two  hundred  and  eighty  pounds  of  bar- 
wood,  eight  pounds  of  Brazil  wood,  and  six  pounds  of  logwood. 
Boil  as  usual,  and  sadden  with  six  pounds  of  copperas ; 
boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


Recipes  for  olive  browns. 
Olive  browns  are  a  combination  of  the  three  primitive 
colours,  red,  blue,  and  yellow.  There  are  two  kinds  of  olive, 
the  brown  olive,  and  the  green  olive.  The  brown  olive  has 
more  red  than  the  green  olive  in  its  composition,  and  not  so 
much  blue.  The  blue  of  the  green  olive  may  be  made  either 
with  indigo  or  logwood. 

For  an  olive  brown,  for  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  icool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  two  hundred  pounds  of  chipped  fustic, 
seventy  pounds  of  weld,  eight  pounds  of  redwood,  ten  pounds 
of  mull  madder,  and  two  pounds  of  logwood.  The  wares  to 
boil  as  usual,  heave  in  the  wool,  and  boil  three  hours;  cool 


132  RECIPES. 

down,  and  sadden  with  six  pounds  of  alum,  and  three  pounds 
of  copperas  ;  boil  one  hour  and  a  half,  and  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  dark  olive,  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  eleven  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  one 
pound  and  a  half  of  logwood,  ten  ounces  of  common  madder, 
and  nine  ounces  of  best  madder. 

Wares  to  boil  as  usual,  run  up,  throw  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  it  three  hours ;  cool  down,  and  sadden  with  ten  ounces 
of  copperas,  and  nine  ounces  of  alum ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let 
lie  in  all  night. 

For  a  deej)  olive,  on  tioo  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of  zvool, 
conside^'aMy  on  the  green  hue. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  of  fustic, 
sixteen  pounds  of  logwood,  and  six  pounds  of  barwood. 

Wares  to  boil  as  usual,  boil  the  wool  two  hours,  and  sadden 
with  six  pounds  of  copperas,  and  two  pounds  of  alum ;  boil  one 
hour,  and  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  light  olive,  on  thirty-two  pounds  of  wool,  more  on  the 

yellow  than  that  of  the  last  recipe. 

For  the  boiling,  use  twenty-one  pounds  of  fustic,  one  pound 

and  nine  ounces  of  logwood,  one  pound  and  nine  ounces  of 

redwood,  two  pounds  and  six  ounces  of  madder,  and  six  ounces 

of  argol. 

Wares  to  boil  as  usual,  boil  the  wool  two  hours,  and  sadden 
with  nine  ounces  of  copperas,  and  three  ounces  of  alum  ;  boil 
one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  deep  rich  olive  brown,  for  three  hundred  and  sixty 
pounds  of  ivool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  hundred  and  sixteen  pounds  of 
fustic,  eighteen  pounds  of  madder,  eighteen  pounds  of  red- 
wood, eighteen  pounds  of  logwood,  and  four  pounds  of  argol. 

Wares  to  boil  as  usual,  boil  the  wool  two  hours,  and  sadden 
with  nineteen  pounds  of  copperas,  and  five  pounds  of  alum. 


■    There  are  a  number  of  colours,  having  a  yellow  hue,  that 
have  no  yellow  dye  in  them.  They  are  mostly  made  on  cloth, 


RECIPES.  133 

end  are  very  rich  and  beautiful,  being  partly  made  with 
cochineal,  rendered  more  or  less  yellow  by  the  action  of  tlie 
tartar  and  the  tin  liquor.  I  shall  give  recipes  for  these  in 
this  place,  because  they  come  nearer  to  colours  made  of  red 
and  yellow,  than  to  any  other  class  of  colours. 


For  a  rich  loine  colour,  for  forty -eight  pounds  of  fine  cloth. 

For  the  boiling,  use  five  pounds  of  alum,  three  pounds  of 
cream  of  tartar,  four  pounds  of  Brazil  wood,  one  pound  of 
cochineal,  and  two  quarts  of  tin  liquor. 

The  wares  to  boil  one  hour,  the  liquor  cooled  down  quite 
low,  the  cloth  to  be  entered  rapidly,  and  kept  in  quick  motion 
all  the  time  of  working — to  be  boiled  two  hours. 

Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  with  six  pounds  of  Brazil  wood, 
one  pound  and  a  half  of  pearlash,  and  one  pint  and  a  half 
of  tin  liquor. 

The  wares  to  boil  one  hour,  cool  down,  and  run  the  cloth 
until  of  the  colour  wanted. 

By  varying  the  proportion  of  the  Brazil  wood,  and  by  in- 
creasing or  lessening  the  pearlash,  a  great  variety  of  these 
colours  may  be  produced. 


For  a  rich  wine  colour,  on  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds 
of  loool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  twenty  pounds  of  alum,  twenty  pounds 
of  cream  of  tartar,  and  two  pounds  and  a  quarter  of  cochineal. 

Boil  the  alum  and  tartar  half  an  hour,  then  the  cochineal 
fifteen  minutes,  run  up,  throw  in  the  wool,  and  boil  two  hours  ; 
cool  down,  land  the  wool,  and  bring  on  a  fresh  liquor.  Put 
into  the  fresh  liquor  half  a  bushel  of  bran,  and  when  the  bran 
rises,  scum  it  off  clean  with  a  fine  sieve ;  then  put  in  forty 
pounds  of  the  best  madder,  boil  two  or  three  minutes,  run  up, 
throw  in  the  wool,  and  boil  it  a  quarter  of  an  hour ;  let  it 
be  one  hour  coming  up  to  a  boil,  land,  and  wash. 


Another  recipe  for  a  rich  wine  colour,  on  the  same  quantity. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  of  cochineal,  seven  pounds 

and  a  half  of  Brazil  wood,  and  twenty-five  pounds  of  alum. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  enter  the  wool  and  boil 

it  three  hours ;  then  sprinkle  over  six  gallons  of  urine,  work 

12 


134  RECIPES. 


the  wool  well,  and  let  it  lie  all  night.     Wash  the  wool,  and 
finish  in  a  fresh  liquor,  with  seventy  pounds  of  best  madder. 


To  dye  chocolate  on  cotton. 

The  cotton  to  be  boiled  in  a  liquor  of  nutgalls,  and  alumed 
the  same  as  for  red.  Then  use  six  ounces  of  alum  and  two 
ounces  of  copperas  to  each  pound  of  cotton,  wring  out  and 
dry  as  for  red :  prepare  it  a  second  time  in  alum  and  cop- 
peras, wring  out  and  dry  again — wash  well  and  wring  out ; 
then  madder  it,  with  half  a  pound  of  madder  to  each  pound 
of  cotton,  the  same  as  for  red,  wash  well,  and  it  is  finished. 

If  not  red  enough,  give  it  a  small  quantity  of  brazilletto 
chips ;  if  not  enough  on  the  claret,  give  it  a  very  httle  logwood. 


Common  mode  of  dying  chocolate  on  cotton. 
Prepare  the  cotton  with  sumach,  instead  of  galls,  sadden 
with  two  ounces  of  copperas  to  one  pound  of  cotton,  wash 
well,  and  return  it  into  the  same  sumach  liquor;  wash  well, 
wring  out,  and  return  it  again  into  the  copperas  liquor — wash 
well,  dry,  and  alum  it  with  six  ounces  of  alum  to  each  pound 
of  cotton ;  then  proceed  as  directed  for  the  last  chocolate. 


Third  recipe  for  chocolate  on  cotton. 
Give  to  the  cotton  the  usual  preparation ;  for  eacli  pound 
boil  four  ounces  of  sumach,  turn  in  the  cotton,  squeeze  out, 
turn  in  again,  putting  it  in  as  open  and  as  even  as.j'ou  can, 
and  let  it  lie  all  night.  In  the  morning  wring  out  gently, 
and  dissolve  for  each  pound  of  cotton  one  ounce  of  copperas, 
turn  i.n  with  the  water  sufficiently  warm,  and  work  for  half 
an  hour ;  wring  out,  wash  well,  and  add  some  urine  to  the 
sumach  liquor,  turn  in  the  cotton,  and  work  quick,  for  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes,  squeeze  out,  dissolve  one  ounce  of  cop- 
peras to  each  pound  of  cotton,  and  add  it  to  the  former  liquor ; 
turn  in  and  handle  well  for  twenty  minutes,  wring  out  and 
wash  well.  If  a  brown  chocolate  is  wanted,  and  the  sumach 
liquor  should  not  be  turned,  put  some  urine  to  the  water,  and 
while  that  is  doing,  boil,  for  each  pound  of  cotton,  half  a 
pound  of  brazilletto  chips,  (if  not  for  a  very  red  colour,  four 
ounces  will  do,)  pour  in  a  little  urine,  or  lime-water,  while 
the  liquor  is  boiling — when  boiled,  take  off  the  clear  liquor, 


RECIPES.  135 

and  turn  it  in  at  the  usual  heat ;  wlien  it  has  been  well  worked 
in  this  liquor,  dissolve,  for  each  pound  of  cotton,  one  ounce 
of  alum  in  warm  water,  stir  well,  and  turn  in  the  cotton;  let 
lie  one  hour,  wring  out,  and  turn  it  into  the  brazilletto  liquor 
as  before,  wring  out,  dry,  and  it  is  finished. 

If  wanted  of  a  blue  cast,  or  more  like  purple  or  claret,  the 
urine  must  be  omitted  ;  and,  after  it  has  been  alumed  the 
second  time,  add  logwood  liquor  to  the  brazilletto,  by  which 
different  shades  of  colour  may  be  produced. 


To  dye  brown  on  cotton. 

Give  a  ground  of  sumach,  handle  well,  and  let  it  lie  m  the 
liquor  all  night.  In  the  morning  add,  for  each  pound  of  cotton, 
two  ounces  of  copperas  :  when  well  worked,  wring  out,  and 
wash  well ;  turn  into  the  sumach  liquor  again  for  fifteen 
minutes,  then  copperas  a  second  time  without  washing. 
Make  a  lime-water,  with  a  handful  of  lime  for  each  pound 
of  cotton;  put  the  lime  into  a  bucket  of  water,  stir  well,  let 
stand  until  clear,  pour  off  the  clear  liquor,  add  more  water 
to  the  lime,  and  repeat  until  liquor  enough  is  obtained  to 
work  the  cotton  ;  turn  in  and  work  very  quick.  While  this 
is  doing,  take  scalding  water,  and  put  into  it,  for  every  pound 
of  cotton,  one  pound  of  ground  black-oak  bark  ;  put  the  bark 
into  a  tub,  pour  the  boiling  water  on  it,  and  strew  into  it, 
for  each  pound  of  cotton,  half  an  ounce  of  lime ;  turn  in 
the  cotton,  at  the  usual  heat,  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes, 
wring  out,  dry  it,  and  it  will  be  a  fine  brown. 

The  darker  the  colour  is  before  turning  into  the  lime- 
water,  the  finer  and  richer  it  will  be  when  finished. 


To  dye  moronc  on  silk. 
Wash  the  silk  from  boiling  in  soap,  alum  as  usual  for  three 
hours,  wash  in  two  tubs  of  cold  water,  and  stick  up ;  take 
four  or  five  pailfuls  of  Brazil  liquor,  pour  on  it  water  as  hot 
as  the  hand  can  bear,  turn  in  the  silk,  and  handle  until  of 
the  colour  wanted,  wring  out  and  dry  in  a  stove. 


For  a  real  hroum,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 
Take  six  ounces  of  annatto,  one  pound  of  potash,  three 
pounds  of  alum,  five  ounces  of  fine  galls,  one-quarter  of  an 


136  RECIPES. 

ounce  of  cream  of  tartar,  two  ounces  of  turmeric,  and  ten 
ounces  of  cochineal. 

Boil  a  kettle  with  ten  buckets  of  water,  powder  six  ounces 
of  annatto,  and  put  it,  together  with  a  pound  of  potash,  into 
the  kettle ;  boil  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  pour  the  liquor 
through  a  sieve  into  a  tub,  immerse  the  silk,  and  work  it  well 
in  the  liquor  for  two  hours,  then  take  it  out,  wring,  and  dry 
it.  After  this,  pour  eight  buckets  of  fresh  water  into  a  kettle, 
dissolve  three  pounds  of  alum  therein — then  put  the  solution 
into  a  tub,  steep  the  dried  yellow  silk,  and  Work  it  well  therein 
for  three  hours,  then  take  it  out,  wring,  and  lay  it  by  wet 
for  further  use. 

Boil  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  put  into  it  ten 
ounces  of  cochineal,  and  let  it  boil  for  about  ten  minutes ; 
then  cool  the  liquor  with  a  bucket  of  water,  and  put  into  it 
a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  cream  of  tartar,  and  two  ounces  of 
turmeric,  and  stir  the  whole  well ;  then  steep  the  silk,  previ- 
ously alumed,  in  the  liquor,  work  it  well  therein  for  two  hours, 
during  which  time  it  must  be  kept  at  a  continual  boil.  Then 
take  it  out,  rinse  in  running  water,  wring,  and  lay  it  by  in 
its  wet  state  for  further  use. 

This  being  done,  dye  it  in  a  blue  vat,  light  or  dark,  as  you 
may  require,  or  according  to  the  pattern. 

The  colour  may  be  filled  up  with  sulphate  of  indigo,  or 
with  logwood,  which  will  render  it  equally  handsome,  but 
not  of  so  lastine  a  colour. 


To  dye  colours  compounded  of  red  and  Hue. 

In  this  class  of  colours  are  comprised,  imperial  blues,  pur- 
pies,  lilacs,  crimsons,  pinks,  mulberries,  clarets,  corbeaus, 
lavenders,  &c. 

To  colour  imperial  blues,  nothing  more  is  necessary  than 
to  boil  more  or  less  of  orchille  and  alum,  and  run  light  blues 
through  the  liquor  at  a  boiling  heat,  till  of  the  colour  wanted. 
When  the  imperitil  is  required  to  be  red,  boil  the  goods,  be- 
fore dying  blue,  with  one-sixth  its  weight  of  cudbear. 


To  colour  ninety  pounds  of  fine  cloth  a  rich  purple. 
Prepare  the  liquor  by  putting  into  it  a  quarter  of  a  peck 
of  bran,  and  when  it  rises  to  the  surface,  as  it  begins  to  boil, 
scum  the  bran  off  clean  with  a  fine  sieve. 


RECIPES.  137 

For  the  boiling,  use  four  pounds  of  cream  of  tartar,  six 
pounds  of  alum,  two  quarts  of  tin  liquor,  and  one  pound  and 
a  half  of  cochineal. 

Boil  the  alum,  tartar  and  tin,  for  one  hour,  then  the  cochi- 
neal for  ten  minutes,  run  up,  heave  in  the  goods,  and  boil 
two  hours. 

Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  with  four  pounds  of  alum,  six  pounds 
of  Brazil  wood,  two  quarts  of  tin  liquor,  eighteen  pounds  of 
logwood,  and  three  pounds  and  a  quarter  of  chyniic. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  cool,  and  work 
rapidly.     Boil  until  finished. 

The  most  permanent  purples  are  made  by  bluing  in  the 
vat,  and  then  filling  up  with  a  cochineal  liquor.  The  only 
objection  to  these  colours  is  the  price,  as  they  are  usually 
charged  as  high  as  scarlet. 


For  a  purple  on  one  hundred  and  twenfy  pounds  of  wool. 

Blue,  in  the  woad  vat,  according  to  the  body  of  purple 
required. 

For  the  filling  up,  use  twenty-one  pounds  of  alum.  The 
wool  to  boil  in  this  liquor  for  two  hours,  then  land,  and  add 
twenty-four  pounds  of  cream  of  tartar,  and  four  pounds  of 
cochineal ;  boil  the  tartar  one  hour,  then  add  the  cochineal, 
and  boil  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ;  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool 
rapidly,  and  boil  to  the  colour  wanted. 

The  wool  should  be  well  washed  from  the  blue  vat,  before 
dying.  

For  a  purple  on  sixteen  pounds  of  xoool. 

Make  it  first  a  light  blue,  in  the  woad  vat,  wash  very  clean, 
and  boil  it  with  two  pounds  and  a  quarter  of  alum;  land  the 
wool,  add  to  the  liquor  one  pound  and  three-quarters  of  cream 
oi  tartar,  and  half  a  pound  of  cochineal.  Boil  the  wool  until 
of  the  colour  wanted.  Any  shades  may  be  obtained,  by 
making  the  blues  lighter  or  darker,  and  varying  the  propor- 
tions of  the  cochineal. 

When  darker  purples  are  required,  they  may  be  finished 
in  a  fresh  liquor,  with  Brazil  wood  and  logwood. 


To  dye  purple  on  cotton. 
Cotton,  for  purple,  must  be  well  cleansed,  and  should  be 
bleached.     Take,  for  each  pound,  one  quart  of  iron  liquor, 

12* 


138  RECIPES. 

and  four  quarts  of  water ;  put  this  into  a  brass  or  copper 
kettle,  add  for  each  pound  of  cotton  half  an  ounce  of  saltpetre, 
half  an  ounce  of  sal-ammoniac,  and  half  an  ounce  of  cream 
of  tartar,  all  pounded  together  until  fine,  and  kept  over  the 
fire  until  scalding  hot ;  take  it  off  the  fire,  and  when  cooled 
sufficiently  to  bear  the  hand  in  it,  turn  in  the  cotton,  squeeze 
out,  turn  in  again,  and  let  lie  all  night ;  wring  out  in  the 
morning,  dry  and  wash.  It  must  now  be  galled,  the  same 
as  for  red,  allowing  half  a  pound  of  galls  for  each  pound  of 
cotton  ;  wring  out,  dry,  and  it  is  finished. 

This  colour  may  be  raised  with  logwood  liquor,  but  it  will 
not  stand.  

To  colour  a  common  ■purple  on  cotton. 
Boil  and  well  wash  the  cotton ;  for  each  pound,  boil  half 
a  pound  of  logwood,  take  the  clear  liquor,  and  when  you  can 
bear  the  hand  in  it,  add  urine,  turn  in  the  cotton  for  an  hour, 
then  raise  it  out,  and  put  it  on  a  pin  to  drain.  Make  a  fresh 
liquor,  by  dissolving  for  each  pound  of  cotton  three-qliarters 
of  an  ounce  of  alum,  in  as  much  water  as  will  be  sufficient 
to  work  the  cotton,  add  a  dish  of  logwood  liquor,  squeeze 
the  cotton,  turn  in,  and  handle  as  quick  as  possible  for  two  or 
three  times ;  it  must  be  worked  till  it  becomes  of  a  beautiful 
lilac.  When  the  colour  is  as  bright  as  you  wish,  wring  out 
gently,  wash  it  a  little,  wring  it  even,  turn  it  into  the  log- 
wood liquor  again,  and  work  it  quick  once  or  twice.  If  the 
liquor  does  not  work  well,  add,  for  each  pound  of  cotton,  half 
an  ounce  of  alum  ;  when  dissolved,  stir  well,  turn  in  for  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes,  wring  out  evenly,  and  dry  in  the  shade. 


To  colour  purple  on  silk. 

For  ten  pounds  of  silk,  use  two  ounces  and  a  half  of 
cochineal,  ten  ounces  of  aquafortis,  one  ounce  and  a  half  of 
tin,  and  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum. 

The  silk  must  be  first  coloured  in  a  blue  vat,  to  a  half 
blue.  This  being  done,  take  a  kettle  containing  ten  buckets 
of  water,  put  into  it  two  ounces  and  a  half  of  cochineal,  and 
boil  it  well  for  ten  minutes. 

Dissolve  tlie  tin  in  the  aquafortis,  pour  the  solution,  together 
with  the  alum,  into  tlie  cochineal  liquor — stir  the  liquor  well, 
and  immerse  the  silk  in  it,  and  work  it  well  for  forty-five 


RECIPES.  139 

minutes,  keeping  gently  boiling  the  whole  time  ;  then  take  it 
out,  rinse,  wring  it,  fix  it  on  the  wringing  post,  wring  and 
beat  it  well. 

The  silk  should  be  washed  clean,  before  dying  it  in  the 
cochineal  liquor. 

Those  who  prefer  leaving  out  the  tin  liquor,  may  use  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  cream  of  tartar,  and  double  the  quan- 
tity of  alum.  

Another  purple  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  alum,  two  ounces  and  a 
half  of  cochineal,  half  a  pound^of  tin  liquor,  three-quarters 
of  an  ounce  of  indigo,  and  three  ounces  of  oil  of  vitriol. 

The  indigo  must  be  dissolved  in  the  vitriol  the  day  before 
it  is  used. 

The  silk,  after  being  boiled  in  soap  and  water,  must  be 
rinsed  in  running  water,  and  then  wrung  and  well  beaten. 
This  being  done,  it  must  be  coloured  to  a  handsome  light 
blue,  in  a  cold  or  warm  vat ;  then  rinse  it  in  running  water, 
wring  and  dry. 

As  soon  as  the  silk  has  become  dry,  it  must  be  moistened 
in  warm  water,  wrung,  and  laid  by  wet  for  further  use. 

Dissolve  in  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  one  pound 
and  a  quarter  of  alum,  pour  the  solution  into  a  tub,  steep  the 
silk  in  it,  and  work  it  well  therein  for  the  space  of  an  hour; 
take  it  out,  wring,  and  lay  it  aside  wet  for  further  use.  Lastly, 
boil  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  and  put  into  it  two 
ounces  and  a  half  of  cochineal ;  let  it  boil  for  about  tea 
minutes,  cool  the  liquor  with  a  bucket  of  water,  add  the  solu- 
tion of  tin  and  the  chymic,  and  stir  the  whole  well.  Immerse 
the  blue  silk  in  the  cochineal  liquor,  work  it  well  therein  until 
the  liquor  begins  to  boil — let  it  boil  another  hour,  during 
which  time,  however,  the  silk  must  be  continually  worked  ; 
it  must  then  be  taken  out,  rinsed,  wrung,  and  dried. 

If  the  purple  is  required  to  be  more  on  the  red,  increase 
the  quantity  of  the  cochineal — if  more  on  the  blue,  take  less. 


To  dye  a  handsome  violet  blue,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 
Take  one  ounce  of  indigo,  twelve  ounces  of  vitriol,  one- 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum,  four  pounds  of  logwood,  and  one 
pound  of  redwood. 


140  RECIPES. 

Dissolve  the  indigo  in  the  oil  of  vitriol,  as  usual.  Dissolve 
in  a  kettle,  with  eight  huckets  of  water,  one  pound  and  a 
quarter  of  alum  ;  then  pour  the  solution  into  a  tub,  and  work 
the  silk  well  therein  for  one  hour,  take  it  out,  wring,  and  keep 
it  wet  for  further  use. 

Fill  a  vat  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  put  the  solution  of 
indigo  in  it,  stir  well,  work  the  alumed  silk  therein  for  half 
an  hour,  then  take  it  out  and  rinse  it  in  running  water. 

Lastly  ;  take  a  kettle"with  eight  buckets  of  water,  put  into 
it  four  pounds  of  logwood,  and  one  pound  of  redwood,  also  a 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum ;  boil  the  whole  well  for  forty-five 
minutes,  then  run  the  decoction  through  a  sieve  into  a  tub, 
steep  the  blue-coloured  silk  fti  it,  and  work  well  for  one  hour  ; 
after  which,  take  it  out,  rinse  in  running  water,  wring  and 
dry  it. 


To  colour  lilac  on  wool. 

For  sixteen  pounds  of  wool,  use  one  pound  and  three- 
quarters  of  alum,  and  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  cream  of 
tartar. 

The  ingredients  to  boil  one  hour,  the  liquor  run  up,  and 
the  wool  to  boil  two  hours ;  land  it,  and  boil  three  ounces 
of  cochineal  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the 
wool  rapidly,  and  boil  to  the  colour  wanted. 

Any  shade  may  be  obtained  by  slightly  bluing  it  in  the 
woad  vat,  previous  to  dying  it  in  the  furnace,  and  by  varying 
the  quantity  of  cochineal. 


To  colour  lilac  on  silk. 
Boil  it  after  pink,  then  take  a  thin  liquor  of  lather,  put  into 
this  some  red  orchille  liquor,  and  work  the  silk  well  in  it ; 
then  wet  out  in  a  lather,  made  with  soap-lees  and  lime-water, 
in  which  it  may  be  blued  to  the  colour  wanted. 


To  dye  crimson. 

For  a  crimson  on  forty-eight  pounds  of  fine  cloth.  For  the 
boiling,  use  three  pounds  of  alum,  two  pounds  of  cream  of 
tartar,  half  a  pound  of  cochineal,  and  three  pints  of  tin  liquor. 

Boil  the  ingredients  one  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  cloth 
and  boil  two  hours.     Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  and  put  in  two 


RECIPES.  141 

pounds  of  alum,  three  pounds  of  pearlash,  four  pounds  of 
Brazil  wood,  and  one  quart  of  urine. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour,  then  add  the  urine ;  cool  down, 
heave  in  rapidly,  and  boil  to  the  colour  wanted.  It  is  often 
finished  without  boiling,  by  keeping  the  liquor  at  a  spring  heat. 


For  a  crimson  on  sixty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  of  cochineal,  three  pounds 
of  best  crop  madder,  six  pounds  of  argol,  three  pounds  of 
alum,  and  two  quarts  of  tin  liquor. 

Boil  the  alum,  argol,  and  tin  liquor,  for  half  an  hour,  then 
add  the  madder  and  cochineal,  boil  ten  minutes,  run  up,  throw 
in  the  wool,  and  boil  it  two  hours ;  run  off  the  liquor,  and 
wash  clean. 

Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  with  six  pounds  of  cudbear,  and 
two  buckets  of  urine. 

Boil  the  cudbear  half  an  hour,  and  then  put  in  the  sig ; 
as  soon  as  this  is  done,  run  up  the  furnace,  heave  in  cool, 
let  it  be  two  hours  coming  up  to  a  spring  heat,  and  it  is 
finished. 


For  a  crimson  on  silk. 

The  silk,  intended  to  be  dyed  crimson  with  cochineal, 
should  be  boiled  in  the  proportion  of  twenty  pounds  of  soap 
to  one  hundred  pounds  of  silk. 

After  washing  and  beetling  the  silks  at  a  stream,  in  order 
to  clear  them  from  the  soap,  they  are  alumed  in  a  strong 
alum  liquor,  and  left  in  it  from  night  until  morning.  After 
this,  the  silks  are  to  be  washed,  and  twice  beetled  in  running 
water.  Prepare  a  bath  in  the  following  manner:  the  long 
trough  is  charged  with  river  water,  about  one-half  or  two- 
thirds,  and,  when  boiling,  some  powdered  nutgalls  are  to  be 
put  into  it  and  suffered  to  boil  for  awhile  ;  then  put  from  four 
drachms  to  two  ounces  of  galls  for  every  pound  of  silk. 
When  they  are  washed  and  beetled,  they  are  to  be  put  upon 
rods,  by  hanks.  The  cochineal,  pounded  and  sifted,  is  then 
to  be  thrown  into  the  bath,  well  stirred,  and  must  receive 
five  or  six  minutes  boiling ;  from  two  to  three  9unces  for 
each  pound  of  silk  are  to  be  put  in,  according  to  the  shade 
required. 


142  RECIPES. 

These  ingredients  are  to  be  put  into  pure  soft  water,  in  a 
clean  copper  vessel.  When  tlie  cochineal  and  galls  have 
undergone  a  boiling,  put  into  the  bath,  for  every  pound  of 
cochineal,  one  ounce  of  nitro-muriate  of  tin.  The  kettle  is 
left  to  cool  a  little,  the  silk  is  entered,  and  worked  for  a  few 
minutes  ;  after  tliis,  it  must  boil  for  two  hours — the  silk  must 
be  worked  now  and  then  during  the  time  of  boiling.  At  the 
expiration  of  this  time,  the  fire  must  be  withdrawn,  and  the 
silks  immersed  in  the  liquor  for  five  or  six  hours,  or  more. 
By  this  means  they  receive  a  fine  half-dye — they  are  to  be 
washed,  given  two  beetlings,  wrung  as  usual,  and  spread 
upon  pk:/les  to  dry. 


A  high-coloured  crimson,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  cochineal,  one  pound  of 
galls,  four  ounces  of  cream  of  tartar,  and  two  pounds  and  a 
half  of  alum. 

Dissolve  the  alum  in  a  kettle,  with  ten  buckets  of  water ; 
pour  the  clear  part  into  a  tub,  put  in  the  silk,  and  work  well 
therein  for  four  hours ;  take  out,  rinse,  wring  it,  and  lay  by 
wet  for  further  use. 

Put  into  a  kettle,  containing  eight  buckets  of  boiling  water, 
one  pound  and  a  quartei'  of  ground  cochineal,  one  pound  of 
powdered  nutgalls,  and  four  ounces  of  cream  of  tartar.  Let 
the  whole  boil  gently  for  fifteen  minutes ;  cool  with  two 
buckets  of  water,  work  the  silk  well  in  the  liquor  (kept 
boiling)'  for  one  hour  and  a  half;  then  take  out,  rinse,  wring, 
and  dry  it. 

For  a  cheaper  colour,  reduce  the  quantity  of  cochineal  to 
ten  ounces,  and  use  three  pounds  of  cudbear. 


A  good  crimson,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  three  pounds  of  alum,  half  an  ounce  of  argol,  half  a 
pound  of  East  India  galls,  and  one  pound  nine  ounces  of 
cochineal. 

Heat  eight  buckets  of  soft  water,  in  a  clean  kettle,  luke- 
warm  ;  dissolve  the  three  pounds  of  alum  therein,  take  out  the 
solution  and  put  it  into  a  tub,  immerse  the  silk  in  it,  and  work 
it  well  for  eight  hours.  Take  it  out,  wring  lightly,  and  lay 
it  by  wet  for  further  use. 


RECIPES.  148 

Take  eight  buckets  of  clear  water,  bring  it  to  boil,  and 
put  into  it  tlic  following  articles  :  half  an  ounce  of  argol,  and 
half  a  pound  of  the  India  galls ;  let  these  boil  well  for  ten 
minutes,  and  run  the  liquor  through  a  sieve  into  a  tub ;  then 
pour  the  liquor  back  into  the  kettle,  and  put  into  it  the  cochi- 
neal ;  let  it  boil  for  ten  minutes,  cool  the  liquor  with  half  a 
bucket  of  water,  im)nerse  the  silk  in  this  liquor,  and  work 
it  well  for  two  hours,  during  which  time  the  liquor  must  be 
kept  boiling.  Take  it  out,  rinse  it  well,  wring  it  well,  and 
dry  it. 

Take  a  kettle  with  ten  buckets  of  spring  water,  and  heat 
it  to  130°  Fahrenheit,  work  tlie  silk  in  this  for  forty  minutes, 
take  it  out,  wring,  and  dry  it. 


A  good  crimson,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk,  in  another  way. 

Take  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  alum,  two  pounds  of  fine 
galls,  one  pound  four  ounces  of  cochineal,  one-quarter  of  a 
j)Ound  of  argol,  and  eight  ounces  of  spirits  of  ammonia. 

Take  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  put  into  it  two 
j)Ounds  of  galls,  boil  for  fifteen  minutes,  run  the  liquor  through 
a  sieve  into  a  tub — steep  the  silk  in  the  liquor,  and  work  it 
well  for  four  hours ;  take  it  out,  rinse,  wring,  and  di*y  it. 

Take  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  and  dissolve  in 
it  two  pounds  of  alum,  pour  it  into  a  tub,  steep  the  silk  in  it, 
and  work  it  for  four  hours ;  then  take  it  out,  wring,  and  lay 
it  by  wet. 

Pour  six  buckets  of  water  into  a  kettle,  add  the  cochineal, 
argol,  and  spirits  of  ammonia,  let  all  boil  for  ten  minutes, 
cool  tlie  liquor  with  two  buckets  of  water,  work  the  silk  in 
it  for  two  hours,  during  which  time  keep  it  boiling ;  then 
take  it  out,  suspend  it  on  the  rods  over  tl^e  tub,  pour  the 
liquor  from  the  kettle  into  it,  and  work  the  silk  in  the  liquor 
until  it  has  become  cool ;  take  out,  rinse,  and  dry  in  the 
shade. 

Other  colours  may  be  obtained  from  the  remains  of  these 
liquors,  by  pouring  the  alum  liquor  into  the  colouring  liquor. 
You  may  produce  colours  in  this,  at  a  proper  heat,  from  the 
rich  peach  blossom  down  to  a  light  lilac.  After  this  a  golden 
yellow  may  be  obtained,  in  the  same  liquor,  from  any  silk 
having  a  pale  yellow  ground. 


144  RECIPES. 

To  dye  pinks  on  woollen. 
To  colour  fifty  pounds  of  cloth  a  fine  pink.     Boil  it  first  in 

four  pounds  of  alum  for  one  hour,  heave  out,  and  add  to  the 

liquor  four  pounds  of  cream  of  tartar,  two  quarts  of  tin  liquor, 

and  one  pound  of  cochineal- 
Boil  the  cloth  until  the  colour  is  rich  and  bright.    If  wanted 

to  be  bluer,  add  urine  to  the  liquor  until  blue  enough. 


For  a  pink,  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  five  ounces  of  cochineal,  two  pounds 
and  a  half  of  alum,  and  one  pound  and  three-quarters  of 
cream  of  tartar. 

Boil  the  alum  and  tartar  for  half  an  hour,  then  the  cochi- 
neal  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ;  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
boil  two  hours,  and  let  lay  all  night. 

Pinks  may  be  made  into  rich  wine  colours,  by  boiling  them 
in  a  strong  crop  madder  liquor — or  into  lilac,  by  bluing  them 
in  a  very  weak  vat,  to  a  thin  sky-blue,  before  dying  pink. 
If  done  in  too  strong  a  vat,  it  will  make  a  purple. 


To  dye  ten  pounds  of  cotton  yarn  a  pink. 
Use  three  pounds  and  a  half  of  safflower,  three  pounds  and 
a  half  of  cream  of  tartar,  one  pound  and  three-quarters  of 
pearlash,  and  one  pound  of  oil  of  vitriol. 


To  dye  pink  on  silk. 
Take  of  safflower,  one  hundred  and  twelve  pounds,  wash 
it  well  in  a  tub  of  water,  having  a  reel  placed  inside  of  it, 
until  all  the  yellow  comes  out ;  when  well  washed,  fill  up 
with  clean  water,  and  add  four  pounds  of  pearlash,  draw 
this  off,  fill  again  with  water,  and  let  lay  until  the  flower 
is  quite  white.  The  two  last  Hquors  are  used  for  dying  the 
pink ;  add  to  it  two  or  three  pails  of  lime-juice,  which  will 
neutralize  the  pearlash,  and  produce  a  beautiful  rose  colour. 
Take  large  hanks  of  silk,  and  let  them  lay  in  the  liquor  until 
all  the  colour  is  extracted  ;  then  throw  the  liquor  off,  and 
pump  up  with  fresh  water,  add  to  it  one  pail  of  lime-juice, 
and  let  the  hanks  lie  in  this  liquor  till  wanted.  Wring  out 
the  hanks  when  wanted,  put  them  in  water  of  a  milk  heat, 


RECIPES.  145 

with  a  small  quantity  of  pearlash ;  when  the  silk  has  spent 
its  colour,  add  a  little  lime  or  lemon  juice,  to  bring  to  tlie 
colour  wanted. 

If  any  of  the  silk  should  not  be  dark  enough,  redye  until 
like  the  darkest.  After  the  pink  is  dark  enough,  wring  the 
silk  out  in  handfuls,  then  make  a  small  tub  of  water  with 
lime-juice,  give  a  few  turns  in  this,  wring  out,  and  dry. 

Some  dyers  use  cream  of  tartar,  and  oil  of  vitriol,  in  place 
of  lime-juice.  

For  a  pink,  on  ten  pounds  of  silk. 

Take  fifteen  pounds  of  safflower,  fifteen  quarts  of  strong 
vinegar,  three-eighths  of  an  ounce  of  oil  of  vitriol,  one  pound 
fourteen  ounces  of  pearlash,  and  four  ounceS  of  cream  of 
tartar. 

Put  the  safflower  into  a  bag,  wash  all  the  yellow  out  of 
it,  dissolve  the  pearlash  in  water,  pour  the  clear  part  of  this 
liquor  on  the  safflower  in  a  tub,  mix  it  well,  and  set  it  by 
for  six  hours.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  run  the  liquor 
through  a  sieve  into  a  tub,  pour  half  a  bucket  of  water  on 
the  bag,  and  press  it  out,  to  extract  the  remaining  colour ; 
pour  the  vinegar  and  the  oil  of  vitriol  into  the  liquor ;  then 
take  the  silk,  fix  it  upon  rods,  put  it  into  the  hquor,  and 
work  it  well  therein  for  four  hours ;  take  it  out,  rinse  it  in 
runnmg  water,  wring  it  well,  and  lay  it  aside  in  its  wet  state 
for  further  use. 

Dissolve  the  cream  of  tartar  in  river  water,  and  pour  the 
clear  part  of  this  solution  into  a  tub,  with  eight  buckets  of 
soft  water ;  immerse  the  silk  in  this  solution,  work  it  well 
therein  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  take  it  out,  wring,  and  dry  it. 


To  dye  mulberry  on  woollen. 

For  forty-eight  pounds  of  cloth,  for  a  rich  mulberry.  For 
the  boiling,  use  three  pounds  of  alum,  two  pounds  of  cream 
of  tartar,  three  pints  of  tin  liquor,  one  pound  of  argol,  and 
one  pound  of  cochineal. 

Boil  the  ingredients  for  half  an  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in 
the  cloth  rapidly,  and  boil  two  hours.  Finish  in  a  fresh 
liquor,  with  three  pounds  of  alum,  sixteen  pounds  of  Brazil 
Wood,  fourteen  pounds  of  logwood,  one  pint  of  tin  liquor,  and 
one  pound  of  best  crop  madder.     Boil  the  wares  two  hours, 

13 


146  RECIPES. 

cool  down,  enter  the  cloth  rapidly,  and  boil  to  the  coloui 
wanted. 

For  a  dark  mulberry,  on  sixteen  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  eight  pounds  of  barwood,  two  pounds 
and  a  half  of  logwood,  and  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  cream 
of  tartar. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  three  hours,  cool  down,  and  sadden  with  one-quarter 
of  a  pound  of  copperas — let  lie  in  all  night. 


To  colour  viulberry  on  silk. 

Boil  with  coloured  soap,  and  wash  out ;  alum,  and  wash 
out ;  take  three  or  four  pails  of  Brazil  liquor,  put  ft  into  a 
tub,  and  throw  on  it  nine  or  ten  pails  of  boiling  water,  pump 
up,  stir  well,  and  put  in  half  a  ladle  of  logwood  liquor;  turn 
the  silk  in  this  seven  or  eight  times,  then  take  it  out  and  lay 
it  by  the  furnace — add  more  logwood  and  Brazil  wood,  till 
of  the  desired  colour.  When  nearly  dark  enough,  throw  a 
pail  of  urine  into  a  tub  of  clean  water,  milk-warm,  turn  in, 
and  make  rather  bluer  than  the  pattern.  If  the  urine  does 
not  make  it  blue  enough,  take  a  clean  liquor,  and  blue  with 
pearlash. 

Plum  colours  are  dyed  the  same  as  mulberry,  only  with 
less  Brazil  wood.  

To  dye  claret  on  woollen. 

For  a  claret  on  forty-eight  pounds  of  cloth.  For  the  boil- 
ing, use  five  pounds  of  alum,  one  pound  of  argol,  five  pounds 
of  Brazil  wood,  five  pounds  of  logwood,  and  one  pound  of 
madder. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and 
boil  one  hour  and  a  half;  then  finish  in  a  fresh  liquor,  with 
six  pounds  of  Brazil  wood,  and  one  pound  and  a  half  of 
pearlash. 

Boil  the  wares  half  an  hour,  run  up,  heave  in  cool,  and 
bring  on  gradually;  boil  till  of  the  colour  wanted. 


For  a  dark  claret  on  sixteen  founds  of  toool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  nineteen  pounds  of  barwood,  and  ha'f 
a  pound  of  cream  of  tartar. 


RECIPES.  147 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  gently  for  three  hours — cool  down,  and  sadden  with  four 
pounds  and  a  half  of  copperas  ;  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  lighter  claret,  on  one  hundred  and  seventy  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  hundred  and  sixty -eight  pounds  of 
barwood,  and  ten  pounds  of  cream  of  tartar. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  three  hours  ;  cool  down,  and  sadden  with  two  pounds 
of  copperas  ;  let  lie  in  all  night. 


To  colour  morone  on  silk. 
Wash  from  boiling  in  soap  ;  alum  for  three  hours,  wash 
twice  in  cold  water,  stick  up,  take  four  or  five  pails  of  Brazil 
liquor,  pour  on  water  as  hot  as  the  hand  can  bear,  put  in  the 
silk,  and  handle  ;  when  of  the  colour  wanted,  wring  out,  and 
dry  in  a  stove.  

To  dye  corbeaus  on  woollens. 

For  a  very  dark  corbeau,  on  thirty-two  pounds  of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  twenty-two  pounds  of  barwood,  and  six 
pounds  of  logwood. 

The  wares  to  boil  three  hours,  the  furnace  run  up,  the 
wool  entered,  and  boiled  two  hours ;  sadden  with  one  pound 
of  copperas,  and  twelve  ounces  of  fustic — boil  one  hour  and 
a  half,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  lighter  corheau,  on  thirty. two  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  sixteen  pounds  of  redwood,  and  four 
pounds  of  logwood. 

The  wares  to  boil  three  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  three  hours ;  cool  down,  and  sadden  with  six 
ounces  of  copperas — boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  brilliant  corbeau,  on  one  hundred  and  thirty  five  pounds 
of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  twelve  ounces  of  cochineal,  two  pounds 
of  Brazil  wood,  eight  ounces  of  aquafortis  simplex,  ten  pounds 
of  argol,  and  ten  pounds  of  alum. 

Boil  the  wares,  all  but  the  cochineal,  for  two  hours,  then 


148  RECIPES. 

add  the  cochineal,  and  boil  five  minutes ;  heave  in  the  wool, 
boil  two  hours,  cool  down,  land,  and  wash. 

Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  in  which  boil  twenty-four  pounds 
of  logwood,  and  one  pound  of  alum,  for  two  hours — heave 
in  the  wool  and  boil  two  iiours ;  sadden  with  two  pounds  of 
copperas,  and  two  pounds  of  aquafortis ;  boil  one  hour,  and 
let  lie  in  all  night.  

Lavender  on  woollen,  for  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds  of 
wool. 

First  day,  woaded  to  a  very  light  thin  blue,  then  washed 
and  finished  in  the  furnace,  with  six  pounds  of  alum,  and  five 
pounds  of  Brazil  wood. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour,  the  wool  two  hours,  cool  down,  and 
let  lie  in  all  night. 

A  dark  lavender,  on  two  hundred  and  seventy  pounds  of  wool. 
First,  dye  it  a  half  blue  in  the  vat,  wash  well  and  dye  in 
the  furnace  with  ten  pounds  of  alum,  and  eighteen  pounds  of 
Brazil  wood.     Proceed  as  with  the  last. 


There  are  many  colours  of  a  moi-e  complex  kind  than  any 
I  have  given  recipes  for,  being  compounded  of  yellow,  red, 
blue,  and  some  mostly  yellow  ;  such  are  tea-browns,  London- 
smoke,  and  Paris-mud,  &c.  I  shall  give  recipes  for  those 
in  this  place,  as  the  browns  will  then  be  complete. 

For  a  tea-lroivn,  on  fifteen  pounds  of  cloth. 

For  the  boiling,  use  four  pounds  of  alum,  two  pounds  of 
argol,  six  pounds  of  madder,  and  four  pounds  of  fustic. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour,  run  up,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and 
boil  one  hour  and  a  half;  cool  down,  take  out  the  cloth,  and 
add  to  the  liquor  four  pounds  of  logwood  and  half  a  pound 
of  copperas ;  boil  the  wares  half  an  hour,  run  up,  heave  in 
the  cloth,  and  boil  to  the  colour  wanted. 


For  a  tea-hroicn,  on  sixty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  eighteen  pounds  of  fustic,  six  pounds 
of  barwood,  five  pounds  and  a  half  of  logwood,  four  pounds 
of  common  madder,  and  half  a  pound  of  argol. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  two  hours ;  cool  down,  and  sadden  with  three- 


RECIPES.  149 

quarters  of  a  pound  of  coppertis ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie 
in  all  night.  

For  a  tea-brown,  on  two  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  hundred  and  tliirty  pounds  of 
fustic,  sixteen  pounds  of  logwood,  and  six  pounds  of  barwood. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  two  liours  ;  cool  down,  and  sadden  with  six  pounds 
of  copperas,  and  two  pounds  of  alum. 


A  tea-broion,  of  a  lighter  sliade,  on  eighty-seven  pounds  of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  fifty-seven  pounds  of  fustic,  four  pounds 
and  a  quarter  of  logwood,  four  pounds  and  a  quarter  of  red- 
wood, seven  pounds  of  madder,  and  one  pound  of  argol. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  two  hours ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  two  pounds 
and  a  quarter  of  copperas,  and  one  poimd  of  alum  ;  boil  one 
hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


A  dark  tea-brown,  on  ninety  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  fifty-four  pounds  of  fustic,  four  pounds 
and  a  half  of  madder,  four  pounds  and  a  half  of  redwood, 
four  pounds  and  a  half  of  logwood,  and  one  pound  of  argol. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  two  hours ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  four  pounds 
and  three-quarters  of  copperas,  and  one  pound  and  a  quarter 
of  alum ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  London-smoke,  on  fifty  pounds  of  w'ool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  pounds  of  rasped  fustic,  one  pound  * 
and  a  half  of  redwood,  one  pound  and  a  half  of  logwood,  one 
pound  and  a  quarter  of  umbro  madder,  half  a  pound  of  cam- 
wood, and  five  pounds  of  barwood. 

The  wares  to  boil  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  one  hour  and  a  half;  cool  down,  and  sadden  with 
half  a  pound  of  copperas,  and  two  pounds  and  a  quarter  of 
argol ;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  Paris-mud,  on  sixty. five  pounds  of  wool. 
Boil  the  wool,  with  t,welve  pounds  and  a  half  of  alum,  ibf 
three  hours,  land,  and  well  wash ;  finish  in  a  fresh  liquor, 

13* 


150  RECIPES. 

with  twenty  pounds  of  chipped  fustic,  and  twelve  ounces  of 
logwood. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  three  hours,  then  throw  on  twenty  pounds  of  rasped  log- 
wood, and  boil  three  hours  ;  cool  down,  throw  on  four  pounds 
of  rasped  logwood,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  dun  colour,  on  sixty-seven  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  of  sumach,  one  pound  of 
argol,  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  logwood,  two  pounds  of  red- 
wood, and  add  two  ounces  of  chymic. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  two  hours  ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  half  a  pound  of  cop- 
peras, boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 

More  copperas  will  make  it  darker,  so  that  a  great  variety 
of  shades  may  be  obtained,  by  adding  or  diminishing  the 
copperas  and  logwood. 

This  colour  has  lately  been  very  fashionable  for  pantaloons. 


To  dye  drab  on  woollens. 

In  drabs,  there  are  a  great  variety  of  colours,  and  an  im- 
mense  number  of  shades  ;  some  have  a  blue  hue,  some  a  red, 
some  a  yellow,  and  there  are  a  number  that  do  not  appear 
to  partake  of  either  of  these  hues.  I  shall  begin  with  drabs 
that  have  a  blue  hue,  and  proceed  with  others  in  the  order 
mentioned. 

For  a  very  light  blue  drab,  on  forty-Jive  pounds  of  cloth. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  pounds  of  alum,  one  pound  and 
a  half  of  argol,  and  two  pounds  of  chipped  logwood. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and 
boil  two  hours ;  cool  down,  take  out  the  cloth,  bring  the 
furnace  to  a  boil,  and  while  boiling  drop  in  two  ounces  of 
chymic  ;  boil  ten  minutes,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  cloth  very 
rapidly,  and  turn  the  reel  as  fast  as  the  cloth  can  be  opened  ; 
after  it  is  entered,  bring  the  liquor  to  a  boil,  and  run  until 
the  desired  colour  is  obtained. 

Blue  drabs  may  be  made  of  any  shade,  by  using  more  or 
less  of  chymic  and  logwood. 


RECIPES.  151 

For  a  blue  drab,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  weld,  one 
pound  ot'  common  madder,  half"  a  pound  of  logwood,  and  half 
a  pound  of  argol. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  one  hour  ;  tlum  add  two  ounces  of  alum,  three  ounces 
of  copperas,  and  one-eighth  of  a  tcacupful  of  chymic — boil 
three  quarters  of  an  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night.  A  little 
orchille  will  give  a  blue  tint  to  these  colours,  and,  when  used, 
the  chymic  may  be  dispensed  with. 

1  must  inform  those  who  are  not  well  versed  with  working 
wool  in  the  furnace,  that  whenever  chymic  is  added  in  the 
saddening,  it  must  be  first  mixed  in  a  bucket  of  the  liquor, 
and  spread  over  the  wool,  a  small  quantity  at  a  time,  while 
the  wool  is  being  rapidly  worked.  Those  who  are  quite 
ignorant  of  the  process,  had  better  cool  the  liquor  down  to 
140°  Fahrenheit,  land  the  wool,  and  mix  the  chymic  in  the 
liquor,  by  stirring  it  well  previous  to  re-entering  the  wool. 


For  a  very  dark  blue  drab,  on  one  hundred  and  tioenty  pounds 
of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  twelve  pounds  of  weld,  two  pounds  of 
fustic,  eight  pounds  and  a  half  of  logwood,  and  two  pounds 
of  argol — add  one  teacupful  of  chymic. 

Boil  the  first  four  articles  one  hour,  then  drop  in  the 
chymic  while  the  furnace  is  boiling  ;  boil  ten  minutes  after 
it  is  in,  cool  down,  enter  the  wool,  and  boil  it  one  hour  ;  then 
sadden  with  one  pound  and  a  half  of  alum,  and  boil  a  quarter 
of  an  hour — then  one  pound  and  a  half  of  copperas,  and  a 
teacupful  of  chymic;  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  blue  drab,  on  sixty  five  pounds  of  icool,  a  thin  colour. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  half  of  weld,  five 
ounces  of  logwood,  one  j)Ound  of  alum,  one  pound  of  argol, 
one  ounce  of  chymic,  and  one  ounce  of  copperas. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  Iveave  in  the  wool  rapidly, 
and  work  quick  ;  let  boil  two  hours,  cool  down  to  about  120'^ 
Fahrenheit,  land  the  wool,  wash,  and  dry  it. 


152  RECIPES. 

For  a  very  light  blue  drab,  on  sixty-Jive  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  three  pounds  and  a  half  of  weld,  one 
pound  of  alum,  one  pound  of  argol,  nine  ounces  of  logwood, 
two  ounces  of  copperas,  and  two  ounces  of  chymic. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool  rapidly, 
Avork  quick,  and  let  boil  two  hours  ;  cool  down  to  about  120*^ 
Fahrenheit,  land  the  wool,  wash,  and  dry. 


For  a  blue  drab,  rather  darker  than  the  above,  on  sixty-jive 
jJounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  three  pounds  and  a  half  of  weld,  one 
pound  of  alum,  one  pound  of  argol,  twelve  ounces  of  logwood, 
two  ounces  of  copperas,  and  two  ounces  of  chymic. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool  rapidly, 
work  quick,  and  let  boil  two  hours  ;  cool  down  to  about  120° 
Fahrenheit,  land  the  wool,  wash,  and  dry. 


To  dye  red  drabs  on  woollen. 
There  are  an  immense  variety  of  shades  in  the  red  drab. 
I  shall  begin  with  the  fawn  drabs,  which  ai^  the  lightest  of 
the  class,  and  gradually  progress  to  the  darker  shades 

For  a  very  light  drab,  having  a  red  hue,  on  one  hundred  and 
tiventy  pounds  of  cloth. 

Boil  two  pounds  of  alum,  two  pounds  of  argol,  one  pound 
and  a  half  of  best  madder,  one  quart  of  tin  liquor,  and  twenty 
pounds  of  fustic. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  enter  the  cloth,  and 
boil  one  hour  and  a  half,  or  till  of  the  colour  wanted.  Any 
shade  may  be  obtained,  by  adding  more  or  less  of  madder 
and  fustic,  as  well  as  of  tin  liquor. 

A  strong  decoction  of  alder  bark  makes  a  red  drab  with- 
out any  mordant ;  blue  vitriol  darkens  it,  without  injuring  the 
red  ;  and  copperas  turns  it  of  a  greenish  drab.  These  red 
drabs  are  of  a  pleasing  hue,  and  are  very  permanent.  The 
bark  should  be  used  by  our  American  dyers. 


For  a  very  light  fawn,  on  sixty -five  pounds  of  wool. 
Where  weld  is  given  -in  my  recipes,  fustic  may  be  used  in 
place  of  it,  only  using  half  the  quantity.     It  is  much  to  be 
regretted,  however,  that  weld  is  not  more  generally  used  in 


RECIPES.  158 

this  country,  particularly  in  drab  dying,  as  the  colours  from 
weld  are  much  brighter  and  softer  than  from  any  other  dye- 
stuffs,  and  the  handle  of  the  cloth  is  much  improved. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  half  of  weld,  one. 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum,  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  red 
Sanders,  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  logwood,  one  pound  of 
best  madder,  and  three  ounces  of  copperas. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour  and  a  half,  cool  down,  boil  the 
wool  two  hours,  or  till  of  the  colour  wanted,  heave  out,  wash, 
and  dry — having  previously  cooled  down  to  120°  Fahrenheit. 


Another  light  fawn,  on  forty-Jive  pounds  of  loool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  half  of  weld,  six 
ounces  of  alum,  fourteen  ounces  of  best  madder,  two  ounces 
and  a  half  of  logwood,  two  ounces  and  a  half  of  sanders,  and 
two  ounces  and  a  quarter  of  copperas. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour  and  a  half,  cool  down,  and  boil 
thS  wool  two  hours,  or  till  of  the  colour  wanted  ;  cool  down 
to  120°  Fahrenheit,  land,  wash,  and  dry.  By  leaving  the 
wool  in  the  liquor  all  night,  the  colour  will  deepen  two  or 
three  shades. 

A  rich  red  fawn,  on  sixty  five  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  fustic,  two 
pounds  and  a  half  of  madder,  one  pound  and  a  half  of  bar- 
wood,  twelve  ounces  of  red  sanders,  one-quarter  of  a  pound 
of  argol,  six  ounces  of  copperas,  and  one-quarter  of  a  pound 
of  alum. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  boil  the  wool 
two  hours,  or  till  of  the  colour  wanted.  When  to  the  pattern, 
cool  down  to  120°  Fahrenheit,  land,  wash,  and  dry.  If  not 
dark  enough,  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  light  fawn,  on  twenty  fve  pounds  of  loool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  ounces  of  barwood,  three  ounces 
of  sumach,  four  ounces  of  argol,  eight  ounces  of  madder,  three 
ounces  of  copperas,  three  ounces,  of  fustic,  two  ounces  of  red 
sanders,  and  three  ounces  of  alum. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  boil  the  wool 
two  hours,  or  till  of  the  colour  wanted.  When  to  the  pattern, 
cool  down  to  130°  Fahrenheit,  land,  wash,  and  dry. 


154  RECIPES. 

For  a  light  fawn,  on  sixty-jive  founds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  half  a  pound  of  fustic,  one  pound  of 
sumach,  half  a  pound  of  Brazil  wood,  one  pound  of  red 
Sanders,  twelve  ounces  of  argol,  one  pound  of  best  madder, 
seven  ounces  of  copperas,  and  eight  ounces  of  alum. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  boil  the  wool 
two  hours,  or  till  of  the  colour  wanted.  When  to  the  pattern, 
cool  down  to  120°  Fahrenheit,  land,  wash,  and  dry. 


For  a  light  red  drah,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  foiu'  ounces  of  nutgalls,  and  one  pound 
of  madder. 

Boil  the  wares  half  an  hour,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  half  an  hour  ;  cool  down,  and  strew  over  one-quarter 
of  a  pound  of  copperas,  two  ounces  of  alum,  and  boil  half  an 
hour — while  boiling,  strew  over  six  ounces  of  ground  fustic, 
and  six  ounces  of  cream  of  tartar;  boil  half  an  hour,  and*  if 
dark  enough,  cool  down,  and  land — if  not,  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  rich  reddish  drab,  on  forty-tivo  pounds  of  wool — a 
fashionable  colour  at  the  present  time. 

For  the  boiling,  use  six  ounces  of  nutgalls,  six  ounces  of 
argol,  ten  ounces  of  redwood,  one  pound  of  madder,  and 
twelve  ounces  of  fustic. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  boil  the  wool  two 
hours  ;  cool  down,  and  sadden  with  three  ounces  of  copperas. 
Boil  one  hour  and  land,  if  dark  enough — if  not,  let  lie  in  all 
night. 

For  a  rich  reddish  drab,  of  a  lighter  sliade  than  the  above,  on 
thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  three  ounces  of  nutgalls,  four  ounces  of 
argol,  seven  ounces  of  red  sanders,  eleven  ounces  of  madder, 
ten  ounces  of  fustic,  and  one  ounce  of  logwood. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  boil  the  wool 
two  hours ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  two  ounces  and  a  half 
of  copperas,  boil  9ne  hour  and  land,  if  dark  enough — if  not, 
let  lie  in  all  night. 


RECIPES.  155 

For  a  darker  red  drab  limn  either  yet  given,  on  forty-two  pounds 
of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  six  ounces  of  nutgalls,  six  ounces  of 
argol,  ten  ounces  of  redwood,  one  pound  of  madder,  and 
twelve  ounces  of  fustic. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  boil  the  wool 
two  hours  ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  three  ounces  of  copperas, 
boil  one  hour  and  land,  if  dark  enough — if  not,  let  lie  in  all 
night.  

For  a  very  dark  red  drab,  approaching  to  a  brown,  on  thirty 
pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  five  pounds  of  fustic,  and  three  pounds 
of  red  Sanders. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  boil  the  wool  two 
hours  ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  eight  ounces  of  copperas,  boil 
one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night.  • 

For  a  dark  red  drab,  lighter  than  the  above,  for  thirty  pounds 
of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  four  ounces  of  nutgalls,  one  pound  and 
three-quarters  of  red  sanders,  two  ounces  of  logwood,  and 
one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  fustic. 

-  Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  and  boil  the  wool 
two  hours ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  four  ounces  and  a  half 
of  cooperas,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


To  dye  yelloio  drabs  on  woollen. 
As  these  are  the  colours  most  generally  worn,  I  shall  give 
more  recipes  than  for  the  others,  including  a  gi-eater  variety 
of  shades. 

For  a  very  light  drab,  having  a  slight  yelloiv  tinge,  on  eighty 
pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  half  of  ground  fustic, 
half  a  pound  of  logwood,  and  four  ounces  of  best  madder. 

The  wares  to  boil  two  hours  in  a  coarse  bag,  the  furnace 
run  up,  and  the  wool  to  boil  two  hours — cool  the  liquor,  then 
sprinkle  over,  for  saddening,  one  pound  of  alum,  and  four 
ounces  of  copperas,  having  previously  dissolved  them  in  a 
bucket  of  the  liquor;  let  the  wool  boil  one  hour,  run  off  the 


156  RECIPES. 

liquor  slowly,  and  while  this  is  doing,  run  up  with  water 
sulficient  to  cool  the  liquor,  so  low  as  to  make  it  pleasant  to 
immerse  the  hand ;  when  the  liquor  is  all  run  off,  land  the 
wool,  and  wash  well. 


For  a  drab,  a  few  shades  darker  than  the  above,  on  forty. two 
pounds  of  loool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  half  of  fustic,  twelve 
ounces  of  logwood,  four  ounces  of  madder,  and  eight  ounces 
of  alum. 

To  be  proceeded  with  as  for  the  last,  and  add  for  the  sad- 
dening, half  a  pound  of  copperas — let  boil  for  half  an  hour, 
land,  and  wash,  as  before. 


For  a  darker  colour,  varying  a  little  in  the  shade,  on  seventy- 
^our  pounds  of  loool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  pounds  of  fustic,  one  poufld  of 
logwood,  and  half  a  pound  of  madder. 

To  be  proceeded  with  as  for  the  two  last,  sadden  with  one 
pound  of  alum,  and  twelve  ounces  of  copperas — boil  half  an 
hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  light  yellow  drab,  on  seventy-five  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  ten  pounds  of  weld,  two  pounds  of 
logwood,  one  pound  of  argol,  one  pound  of  alum,  and  four 
ounces  and  a  half  of  copperas. 

Boil  the  weld  in  bags  one  hour,  take  it  out,  add  the  other 
ingredients,  boil  half  an  hour,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  it  two  iiours — then  run  up,  add  six  ounces  of  oil  of  vitriol, 
and  work  well  for  twelve  minutes  without  boiling — if  the 
colour  is  dark  enough,  cool  down,  run  the  liquor  off,  and 
wash  ;  if  required  to  be  darker,  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  light  drab,  not  so  yellow  as  the  last,  on  sixty-five  pounds 
of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  four  pounds  of  weld,  half  a  pound  of 
fustic,  one  pound  and  three-quarters  of  logwood,  half  a  pound 
of  umbro  madder,  twelve  ounces  of  argol,  and  half  a  pound 
of  alum. 

The  weld  to  be  boiled  in  bags,  .and  taken  out  as  in  the  last, 


RECIPES.  157 

ihe  other  wares  to  boil  one  hour ;  cool  down,  add  one  ounce 
and  a  half  of  copperas,  and  one  ounce  of  oil  of  vitriol ;  boil 
half  an  hour,  run  off,  or  let  lie  all  night,  according  to  the 
colour  wanted.  

For  a  yellow  drah,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  three  ounces  of  nutgallS,  one  pound 
of  fustic,  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  madder,  three  ounces  of 
argol,  half  a  pound  of  alum,  and  two  ounces  of  copperas. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
boil  half  an  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  yelloiD  drab,  on  sixty -Jive  pounds  of  loool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  pounds  of  weld,  six  ounces  of  argol, 
five  ounces  of  logwood,  three  ounces  of  barwood,  one  pound 
of  madder,  three  ounces  of  copperas,  and  two  ounces  of  alum. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool 
boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  nii^ht. 


For  a  dark  yellow  drab,  on  sixty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  five  pounds  of  weld,  six  ounces  of  red 
argol,  and  four  ounces  of  rasped  fustic. 

The  wares  to  boil  as  before,  heave  in  the  wool,  and  boil 
one  hour ;  then  add,  by  strewing  over,  fourteen  ounces  of 
ground  logwood,  and  fourteen  ounces  of  umbro  madder.  The 
wool  to  boil  two  hours,  cooled  down,  and  landed  ;  add  to  the 
liquor  four  ounces  of  copperas,  and  four  ounces  of  alum ; 
stir  well,  heave  in  the  wool,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  it  lie  in 
all  night. 

Another  dark  yelloio  drab,  on  sixty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  five  pounds  of  weld,  one  pound  and  a 
quarter  of  fustic,  one  pound  of  logwood,  three  pounds  of  mull 
madder,  and  half  a  pound  of  copperas. 

The  weld  to  be  boiled  one  hour  and  taken  out,  then  add  the 
other  materials,  boil  one  hour,  heave  in  the  wool,  boil  two 
hours,  land,  or  let  it  lie  in  all  night. 

There  are  many  drabs  that  do  not  come  under  the  de-, 
nomination  of  blue,  red,  or  yellow — such  are  pearl  drabs, 
green  drabs,  &c.     I  shall  proceed  to  give  I'ecipes  for  these, 
as  both  of  them  are  now  fashionable. 

14 


158  RECIPES. 

For  a  very  light  white  pearl,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  four  ounces  of  alum,  and  one  ounce 
and  a  half  of  logwood. 

Let  the  wares  boil  half  an  hour,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  bring  the  liquor  to  a  spring  heat ;  keep  at  this  heat  for 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  land,  and  wash.  The  wool  must  be 
handled  briskly  all  the  time  it  is  in  the  furnace. 


For  a  light  red  pearl  drab,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  three  ounces  and  a  half  of  argol,  two 
ounces  of  logwood,  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  Brazil  wood,  one 
ounce  of  redwood,  one  ounce  of  alum,  and  one  ounce  of 
copperas. 

The  wares  are  to  be  boiled  half  an  hour,  the  furnace  run 
up,  the  wool  entered  and  boiled  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  cooled 
down,  lauded,  and  washed. 


For  a  pearl  drab,  on  sixty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  eight  ounces  of  nutgalls,  and  four 
ounces  of  madder. 

The  wares  are  to  be  boiled  half  an  hour,  the  furnace  run 
up,  the  wool  entered  and  boiled  a  quai-ter  of  an  hour, ;  while 
boiling,  add  two  ounces  of  alum,  cool  down,  and  land. 


For  a  pearl  drab,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

Boil  one  peck  of  bran,  to  soften  the  water,  and  scum  clean. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  ounces  of  fustic,  three  ounces  of 
nutgalls,  five  ounces  of  argol,  three  ounces  of  logwood,  one 
ounce  and  a  quarter  of  Brazil  wood,  and  three  ounces  of 
madder. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  work  briskly ;  boil  one  hour,  cool  down,  and  sadden 
with  one  ounce  of  copperas,  one  ounce  of  alum,  one-quarter 
of  an  ounce  of  fustic,  and  one  ounce  and  a  half  of  logwood — 
boil  half  an  hour  and  land,  or  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  dark  pearl  drab,  on  sixty-five  pounds  of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  of  weld,  one-quarter  of  a 
pound  of  fustic,  eight  ounces  of  logwood,  twelve  ounces  of 


RECIPES.  159 

argol,  twelve  ounces  of  alum,  ten  ounces  of  fine  madder,  and 
two  ounces  of  copperas. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  two  hours ;  cool  down  to  120'^  Fahrenheit,  land, 
and  wash.  

For  a  thin  jjearl  drab,  on  thirty  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  ounces  of  weld,  four  ounces  of 
argol,  four  ounces  of  alum,  one  ounce  of  logwood,  half  an 
ounce  of  oil  of  vitriol,  two  ounces  of  madder,  and  half  an 
ounce  of  copperas. 

Boil  the  wares  one  hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool, 
and  boil  it  one  hour  and  a  half;  cool  down  to  120"  Fahren- 
heit, land,  wash,  and  dry. 


To  dye  green  drabs  on  woollens. 

For  a  light  green  drab,  having  an  olive  hue,  on  twenty, 
nine  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  three  pounds  and  three-quarters  of 
weld,  half  a  pound  of  logwood,  and  one-quarter  of  a  pound 
of  fustic. 

The  weld  to  be  boiled  one  hour  and  taken  out,  then  the 
other  wares  one  hour,  the  furnace  run  up,  the  wool  entered 
and  boiled  one  hour  ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  one  ounce  and 
a  half  of  copperas,  and  twelve  ounces  of  alum — boil  one 
hour,  and  land. 


For  a  dark  green  drab,  on  fifty-eight  pounds  of  toool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  five  pounds  of  fustic,  two  pounds  of 
logwood,  and  half  a  pound  of  madder. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  enter  the  wool,  and  boil 
it  two  hours  ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  twelve  ounces  of  alum, 
four  ounces  of  pearlash,  and  two  ounces  of  copperas.  Boil 
half  an  hour,  and  then  add  a  quarter  of  a  pint  of  oil  of  vitriol ; 
let  it  lie  in  all  night. 

Miscellaneous  colours,  or  colours  coming  under  no  particular 
denomination. 

These  colours  are,  mostly,  between  drabs  and  browns.  I 
can  only  describe  them  according  to  their  predominant  hue. 


160  RECIPES. 

Many  of  them  are  now  quite  fashionable  for  pantaloons,  and 
others  are  mostly  employed  for  mixtures.  I  shall  give  those 
intended  for  mixtures  first,  and  then  those  for  colouring. 


For  a  red  broivn,  of  a  very  lively  tint,  on  twenty  pounds  of  wool. 

This  recipe  is  intended  for  mixing  with  dark  colours,  and 
has  been  fashionable  in  dark  drab  mixtures. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  ounces  of  nutgalls,  two  pounds 
of  madder,  and  four  pounds  of  red  sanders. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  two  hours ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  one  ounce  of  copperas, 
boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


For  a  very  bright  colour,  almost  a  red,  on  the  cinnamon  hue, 
for  fifty-seven  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  nine  pounds  of  alum,  and  farty  pounds 
of  fustic. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  two  hours ;  cool  down,  land,  and  wash. 

Prepare  a  fresh  liquor,  bring  on  to  a  boil,  bran  and  scum 
well — put  in  seven  pounds  of  madder,  run  up,  heave  in  the 
wool,  and  boil  one  hour ;  cool  down  to  120°  Fahrenheit, 
land,  and  wash.  

For  a  thin  red,  on  twenty  pounds  of  tvool. 
This  colour  is  rather  on  the  orange  hue.  Bring  the  fur- 
nace to  a  boil,  add  two  pounds  of  argol,  boil  one  hour,  cool 
to  below  boiling,  add  to  the  liquor  four  pounds  of  madder, 
heave:^n  the  wool,  boil  half  an  hour — cool  down  to  120"^ 
Fahrenheit,  land,  and  wash. 

For  a  Brazil  red,  on  twelve  pounds  of  loool. 
Bring  the  furnace  to  a  boil,  add  two  pounds  and  a  half 
of  alum,  and  four  pounds  of  Brazil  wood — boil  the  wares  one 
hour,  cool  down,  heave  in  the  wool,  boil  forty-five  minutes — 
cool  down,  after  lying  one  hour,  to  120°  Fahrenheit,  land, 
and  wash. 

For  a  deep  sanders  red,  on  forty  five  pounds  of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  six  pounds  of  red  sanders.     Boil  the 
wares  one  hour,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and  boil  two 


RECIPES.        ^  161 

hours;  cool  down,  and  sadden  with  four  ounces  of  copperas; 
cool  down,  land,  and  wash.  If  required  darker,  let  it  lie  in 
all  night.  

For  a  rich  wine  colour,  on  thirty  founds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  four  pounds  of  red  argol,  and  two 
pounds  of  Brazil  wood. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool  and 
boil  it  two  hours,  then  sprinkle  over  one  gallon  and  a  half  of 
stale  urine,  and  let  lie  in  all  night — work.it  well  as  the  urine 
is  entered.  Wash  well,  and  finish  in  fresh  liquor,  with  twenty 
pounds  of  best  madder — bcil  one  hour,  let  lie  in  the  liquor 
nine  hours  after  boiling,  land  and  wash. 

The  above  is  one  of  the  richest  colours  that  can  be  made, 
and  is  often  worn  bv  the  ladies,  for  cloaks,  &;c. 


A  fugitive  imnc  colour,  in  imitation  of  the  above,  but  much 
poorer  in  body  and  tint,  for  sixty-three  pounds  of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  forty  pounds  of  barwood,  boil  the  wool 
one  hour  and  a  half,  then  strew  over  six  pounds  and  a  half 
of  alum,  boil  one  hour,  and  let  lie  in  all  night.  Land  the 
wool  the  following  morning,  wash  well,  and  finish  in  a  fresh 
liquor,  with  eight  pounds  of  Brazil  wood,  ten  pounds  of  peach 
wood,  and  ten  poiuids  of  fustic — boil  the  wool  two  hours,  and 
let  lie  in  all  night. 

For  a  bright  red  for  mixtures,  of  the  cinnamon  hue,  on  forty, 
six  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  twenty -three  pounds  of  barwood,  and 
fourteen  pounds  of  fustic. 

Bring  the  liquor  to  boil,  boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up, 
heave  in  the  wool,  work  rapidly,  let  it  be  two  hours  and  a 
half  coming  to  a  boil — boil  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  cool  down 
to  120°  Fahrenheit,  land,  and  wash. 


For  a  dark  muddy  drab,  lately  fashionable,  on  sixty  five  pounds 
of  wool. 
For  the  boiling,  use  one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  fustic,  ten 
ounces  of  barwood,  ten  ounces  of  sumach,  six  ounces  of  red 
Sanders,  six  ounces  of  Brazil  wood,  twelve  ounces  of  argol, 
and  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  madder. 

14* 


162  ^         RECIPES. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  two  hours  ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  one  ounce  and  a  half 
of  copperas,  and  four  ounces  of  alum ;  boil  one  hour  and  a 
half,  run  up,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 

By  varying  the  above  materials,  all  those  different  dirty 
brown  drabs,  so  lately  fashionable,  may  be  readily  obtained. 
I  shall  give  one  other  recipe  for  a  variety  of  this  colour,  being 
yellower,  not  so  much  on  the  red,  and  lighter  than  the  above. 


For  a  muddy  drab,  on  sixty-jive  pounds  of  wool. 

For  the  boiling,  use  two  pounds  of  fustic,  half  a  pound  of 
sumach,  one  pound  and  three-quarters  of  barwood,  half  a 
pound  of  red  sanders,  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  Brazil  wood, 
one  pound  and  a  quarter  of  argol,  and  four  pounds  and  a 
quarter  of  madder. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  run  up,  heave  in  the  wool,  and 
boil  two  hours  ;  cool  down,  sadden  with  one  pound  and  three- 
quarters  of  copperas,  and  one-quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum — 
boil  one  hour  and' a  half,  run  up,  and  let  lie  in  all  night. 


To  dye  drab  on  cotton. 
Mix  fustic  and  sumach  liquor  with  warm  water,  turn  in  the 
cotton,  and  work  it  well ;  if  for  a  brownish  drab,  turn  the 
cotton  into  a  weak  copperas  liquor ;  if  for  a  greenish  drab, 
mix  logwood  with  the  fustic  and  sumach,  and  a  little  blue 
viti'iol  with  alum  and  copperas — when  well  worked,  wring 
out  lightly,  and  it  is  finished. 


To  dye  a  drab  on  silk. 
Boil  it  in  black  soap,  wash  out,  and  stick  up  as  for  other 
colours — put  a  little  spent  orchille  into  a  very  warm  liquor, 
a  little  fustic,  a  little  logwood,  and  strew  in  a  little  copperas ; 
stir  up  well,  and  try  a  pattern — when  too  blue,  use  a  little 
argol,  or  cream  of  tartar,  which  will  raise  the  red  of  the 
logwood. 

Process  of  aluming  silk. 
Wash  the  silk  from  the  soap,  well  beetling  it ;  steep  it  in 
the  alum  liquor  for  nine  or  ten  hours,  using  about- five  ounces 
of  alum  to  each  pound  of  silk,  and  four  ounces  of  pearlash 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES,  163 

to  every  twenty  pounds  of  alum,  wash,  wring  with  the  hand, 
and  lay  by  for  further  use.  Tlie  pearlnsh  is  used  to  neu- 
tralize the  excess  of  sulphuric  acid  contained  in  the  alum. 


Silk  indigo  vat. 

This  vat  is  the  same  as  is  known  in  this  country  by  the 
name  of  ash  vat,  such  as  was  attempted  to  be  palmed  on 
the  woollen  dyers  of  this  country,  some  years  since,  by  a 
Mr.  Roach,  as  the  woollen  woad  vat.  It  is  the  best  vat  for 
silk,  and  may  be  used  for  cotton,  but  is  altogether  unfit  for 
woollen  dying,  for  the  very  reason  that  it  is  worked  with 
caustic  potash,  which  cannot  fail,  under  any  circumstance, 
to  injure  the  quality  of  the  wool.  The  following  is  the  pro- 
cess of  setting  the  ash  vat. 

Put  fifty  pounds  of  potash  into  a  barrel,  and  fill  it  up  with 
boiling  water.  It  is  from  this  barrel  the  vat  is  supplied, 
when  potash  liquor  is  mentioned  in  the  recipe. 


Process  of  setting  an  ash  vat. 
Add  one  pailful  of  wheat  bran  to  fifty  gallons  of  water, 
boil  thirty  minutes,  and  empty  the  whole  into  the  vat.  Fill 
the  boiler  with  fifty  gallons  more  of  water,  add  to  it  ten 
pounds  of  wheat  bran,  ten  pounds  of  potash,  and  one  and  a 
quarter  pounds  of  madder — boil  thirty  mmutes,  let  it  settle, 
and  pour  the  clear  liquor  into  the  vat.  When  the  heat  of 
the  vat  has  lowered  to  140'^  Fahrenheit,  add  to  it  five  pounds 
of  well-ground  indigo,  and  three  gallons  of  swill — rake  and 
cover  down,  keep  as  near  130^  Fahrenheit  as  possible.  Stir 
morning  and  evening.  When  the  liquor  is  covered  with  a 
copper  scum,  and  the  flowers  are  of  a  dark  blue,  add  one 
gallon  of  potash  liquor  from  the  barrel,  and  half  a  gallon  of 
swill,  at  morning,  noon,  and  night,  raking  well  each  time. 
Should  the  copper  appearance  cease,  or  fail  to  show  itself, 
add  one  gallon  of  swill,  mornings  and  evenings,  until  it  does. 
When  this  one  hundred  gallons  of  liquor  is  in  good  order, 
fill  the  furnace  with  one  hundred  gallons  more  of  clean  water, 
add  ten  pounds  of  wheat  bran,  ten  pounds  of  potash,  and  one 
pound  and  a  quarter  of  madder,  boil  thirty  minutes,  cool  down 
to  131°  Fahrenheit — pass  the  clear  liquor  into  the  vat,  and 
add  to  it  five  pounds  of  ground  indigo  and  three  gallons  of 
ewill,  rake  well,  and  cover  close  till  next  morning.     Raka 


164  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

again  in  the  morning,  and  if  in  order,  add  to  it  one  gallon  of 
potash  liquor,  and  half  a  gallon  of  swill — add  the  same  quan- 
tity at  noon,  and  again  in  the  evening.  Should  there  be  no 
copper  skin  on  the  liquor  the  morning  after  renewing,  must 
only  rake  well  morning  and  evening  till  it  appears.  When 
this  two  hundred  gallons  is  in  good  order,  boil  two  hundred 
gallons  more  of  clear  water,  with  ten  pounds  of  bran,  twenty 
pounds  of  potash,  and  two  pounds  and  a  half  of  madder  ;  boil 
as  before,  for  thirty  minutes,  let  settle,  turn  the  clear  liquor 
into  the  blue  vat,  give  it  ten  pounds  of  indigo,  and  four  gal- 
Ions  of  swill — rake  well,  and  cover  close.  Rake  the  following 
day,  morning  and  evening,  and  the  second  morning  there  will 
be  a  copper  scum  on  the  surface ;  then  add  to  it  two  gallons 
of  potash  liquor,  and  one  gallon  of  swill,  morning  and  evening. 
The  strength  of  this  liquor  should  rate  from  two  to  three 
degrees,  on  Baume's  hydrometer.  If  below  two  degrees, 
potash  liquor  should  be  added  until  it  stands  at  two  degrees. 
Should  the  vat  contain  but  three  hundred  gallons,  add,  in 
the  last  operation,  only  one  hundred  gallons  of  water  in  place 
of  two  hundred,  and  the  other  materials  in  proportion. 


Working  the  ash  vat. 
The  goods  to  be  well  wet  in  hot  water,  and  left  to  drain 
until  nearly  dry,  then  run  in  the  vat  for  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes,  wrung  out,  and  dried — the  dipping  to  be  repeated 
until  dark  enough.  After  every  dip,  add  to  the  vat  one  gallon 
of  swill,  and  one  gallon  of  potash  liquor  from  the  barrel,  then 
rake,  and  keep  at  the  temperature  of  120''^  or  125°  Fahren- 
heit. This  last  rale  should  in  all  cases  be  observed,  unless 
the  dye  be  too  weak  or  too  strong,  too  much  fermented  or 
not  enough — in  either  of  these  cases,  follow  the  directions 
given  under  the  head  renewing  the  vat.  Three  or  four  dips 
may  be  made  each  day,  until  the  strength  of  the  vat  is  mostly 
worked  out,  but  must  not  reduce  the  liquor  too  much  the  first 
time  of  working.  . 

To  reneio  the  ash  vat. 

Rake  the  dye  up  well,  turn  over  about  one  hundred  and  forty 

gallons  of  the  liquor  into  the  boiler,  and  add  to  it  ten  pounds 

of  bran,  and  two  pounds  of  madder  ;  boil  for  thirty  minutes, 

let  settle,  turn  the  clear  liquor  into  the  vat,  add  to  it  fifteen 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  165 

funds  of  indigo,  and  three  gallons  of  swill  liquor,  rake  well, 
d  cover  down.  The  next  morning  a  fine  copper  scum  will 
appear  on  the  surface,  then  add  to  it  one  gallon  of  potash 
liquor,  and  seven  gallons  of  swill,  rake  well,  and  cover  down. 
Should  the  liquor  indicate  three  degrees  Baume,  in  three 
hours  afterward,  it  is  fit  to  colour;  if  it  indicates  less,  add 
potash  liquor  and  swill,  in  the  same  proportions  as  in  the 
morning,  until  it  rises  to  three  degrees.  The  liquor,  .on  the 
second  renewal,  may  stand  at  four  degrees  ;  on  the  third  and 
succeeding  ones,  at  five  degrees. 


To  make  a  neio  ash  vat,  after  working  out  the  old  one.. 
Pass  two  hundred  gallons  of  the  clear  liquor  from  the  worn- 
out  vat  into  the  furnace,  and  after  emptying  out  the  remainder 
from  the  vat,  return  the  liquor  into  it ;  then  put  as  much 
water  into  the  boiler  as  will  fill  the  vat,  add  ten  pounds  of 
bran,  three  pounds  of  potash,  and  two  pounds  of  madder ; 
boil  three  minutes,  let  settle,  empty  the  clear  liquor  into  the 
vat,  to  which  add  fifteen  pounds  of  indigo,  and  three  gallons 
of  swill,  rake,  and  cover  close.  Next  day,  add  potash  liquor 
until  the  scale  stands  at  five  degrees. 


Keeping  the  silk  ash  vat  in  order. 

Should  the  liquor,  by  being  kept  too  cold,  lose  its  fermen- 
tation, boil  one-quarter  of  the  liquor  in  a  furnace,  add  ten 
pounds  of  wheat  bran,  and  seventeen  pounds  of  madder,  boil 
the  usual  time,  let  settle,  return  clear  liquor  into  vat,  stir,  &:c. 
Next  morning  add,  if  not  sufficiently  fermented,  one  gallon 
of  swill,  and  repeat  every  six  hours,  until  in  good  order. 

Should  the  dye  be  too  much  heated,  cool  down,  rake  once 
a  day,  and  add  half  a  gallon  of  potash  liquor — continue  the 
same  till  the  liquor  appears  perfectly  clear ;  should  it  have 
lost  its  proper  degree  of  fermentation,  add  at  each  stirring 
one  gallon  of  swill,  until  it  comes  to  work. 

Should  it  be  found  necessary  to  lay  a  vat  by  for  any  con- 
siderable time,  work  it  about  half  out,  cover  close,  and  it 
will  keep  six  months.  

On  dying  of  double  colours. 
Cloth  is  sometimes  dyed  double  colours,  that  is,  one  side 
of  a  cloth  is  dyed  of  one  colour,  and  the  other  side  of  another. 


166  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

Such  colours  are  rarely  seen  in  this  country,  and  are  now 
only  seen  occasionally  in  Europe ;  but  as  they  were  on<^ 
fashionable,  and  may  become  so  again,  I  shall  finish  tbe 
subject  of  dying  by  giving  the  process  for  dying  these.  The 
principal  markets  at  the  present  time  for  double  colours,  are 
Turkey  and  Arabia.  The  Arabs  cover  their  horses  with 
cloth  dyed  purple  and  scarlet;  by  turning  up  the  corners  they 
show  a  beautiful  drapery,  and  the  corners  being  trimmed 
with  gold  or  silver  tassels,  give  to  the  horse's  furniture  a 
very  rich  and  elegant  appearance. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  double  colours,  those  having  green 
on  one  side  and  yellow  on  the  other — and  those  having  pur- 
ple on  one  side  and  scarlet  on  the  other.  We  will  commence 
with  the  first. 

Cloths  made  for  double  colours,  should  be  fine  m  quality, 
wove  very  stout,  eleven  quarters  in  the  loom,  not  more  than 
twenty-four  yards  when  fulled,  and  left  under  six  quarters 
wide.  They  should  have  a  good  nap  raised  on  both  sides, 
and  finished  shearing  before  they  are  dyed.  They  must  be 
well  pized  in  fullers-earth,  and  dried  to  prepare  them  for  the 
dye.  When  for  yellow  and  green,  the  cloth  must  be  first 
dyed  a  bright  yellow,  as  follows  :  for  forty-eight  pounds  of 
cloth,  use,  in  the  boiling,  ten  pounds  of  alum,  two  pounds  of 
cream  of  tartar,  and  twenty-five  pounds  of  fustic  chips. 

Boil  the  wares  two  hours,  heave  in  the  cloth,  and  boil  it 
four  hours — cool  down,  heave  out,  stream  it  until  clean,  and 
dry.  A  flour  paste  has  now  to  be  prepared.  We  have,  in 
England,  two  sorts  of  wheat,  one  of  which  makes  a  flour 
that  will  aflbrd  a  tougher  paste  than  the  other;  when  flour 
is  ordered  for  double  colours,  it  is  always  such  as  will  pro- 
duce the  toughest  paste.  The  paste  is  made  the  day  before 
it  has  to  be  used.  It  requires  a  stiff"  paste,  to  prevent  its 
penetrating  through  the  cloth  when  rubbed  on,  yet  thin 
enough  to  work  thoroughly  into  the  nap  of  the  cloth.  When 
this  has  been  properly  prepared,  one  end  of  the  cloth  is  placed 
on  a  smooth  table,  about  five  feet  wide  and  twelve  long, 
beginning  at  one  end,  the  side  intended  to  be  pasted  laying 
uppermost.  One  person  liffs  the  paste  out  of  the  tub  with  a 
clean  tin  or  copper  ladle,  and  places  it  on  the  cloth,  while  two 
others  are  employed  in  rubbing  it  into,  and  all  over  the  face 
of  the  cloth,  witli  their  hands.  As  soon  as  a  piece  has  been 
pasted,  the  two  ends  are  brought  together,  and  the  whole 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  167 

piece  doubled,  leaving  that  side  which  has  been  pasted,  inside. 
The  cloth  is  now  placed  on  a  long  scrave,  or  slatted  table, 
four  or  more  women  are  employed  to  sew  the  lists  together, 
these  are  turned  in  and  rolled  before  sewing,  the  work  is 
drawn  tight,  and  the  stitches  are  close  together,  to  prevent 
any  liquor  from  ])enetratiiig  through  the  lists.  The  two  ends 
are  rolled,  and  sewed  up  in  the  same  way.  Care  must  be 
taken,  during  this  operation,  that  none  of  the  paste  touch  the 
side  of  tiie  cloth  that  has  not  been  pasted,  for  in  such  places 
the  cloth  will  not  receive  the  destined  colour.  AVhile  this 
is  doing,  the  furnace  must  be  brou'^ht  on  with  a  new  liquor, 
into  which  put  four  pounds  of  alum,  four  pounds  of  fustic,  and 
three  pounds  of  chymic.  Boil  the  alum  and  fustic  during  two 
hours,  drop  in  the  chymic,  and  boil  ten  minutes.  Let  the 
cloth,  which  is  now  very  heavy,  be  brought  to  the  furnace 
on  a  clean  hand-barrow,  and  placed  on  the  curb — open  a 
few  stitches  in  the  end  of  the  cloth,  sufficient  to  make  such 
an  aperture  as  will  admit  the  nose  of  a  bellows,  and  blow  in 
as  much  air»as  can  be  forced  into  it.  Let  the  opening  be  im- 
mediately sewed  up.  Two  men  must  now  carefully  lift  the 
cloth  off"  the  hand-barrow  into  the  furnace,  keeping  the  folds 
square  and  even,  while  two  others  are  employed  in  placing 
it  under  the  liquor  with  stopping  sticks.  Care  must  be  taken 
not  to  hand  it  in  faster  than  the  stoppers  can  put  it  under  the 
liquor,  yet  it  is  very  necessary  this  opemtion  should  be  per- 
brmed  as  rapidly  as  possible.  The  air,  blown  in  by  the 
Dellows,  will  be  confuied  inside  by  the  paste ;  and  when  the 
cloth  comes  in  contact  with  the  hot  liquor,  the  air  becomes 
so  expanded  as  to  swell  the  cloth,  out  as  large  as  a  butt,  and 
the  air  moving  as  the  cloth  is  worked,  prevents  the  paste 
*'rom  adhering,  and  enables  the  workmen  to  move  it  in  any 
direction.  It  has  now  to  be  worked  backwards  and  forwards, 
first  on  one  side  of  the  furnace,  and  then  on  the  other — at 
every  three  or  four  turns,  the  end  is  tumbled  over  so  as  to 
bring  the  side  that  was  lowest  in  the  furnace  to  be  upper- 
most. The  working  must  be  done  expeditiously,  to  make 
.he  colour  even — it  should  be  had  in  cool,  and  the  liquor 
brought  on  to  a  boil  very  gradually.  When  boiled  to  the 
colour  wanted,  the  liquor  is  cooled  down  so  far  as  to  enable 
the  workmen  to  handle  the  cloth,  which  has  now  to  be  lifted 
out  by  hand  into  a  large  back  of  cold  water.  Before  open- 
ing the  cloth,  it  must  be  streamed,  until  no  stain  appears  on 


168  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

the  water ;  when  washed  clean,  the  twine  is  taken  from  the 
lists,  the  paste  scraped  off  as  clean  as  possible,  and  then 
cleaned  in  the  stocks  until  all  the  paste  is  completely  washed 
oft".  It  is  then  tentered,  dried,  pressed,  and  packed.  The 
side  that  was  pasted  will  now  be  of  a  beautiful  yellow,  and 
the  other  of  a  rich  green. 

It  requires  some  experience  to  perform  this  operation  with 
perfect  safety,  and  the  cloth  must  be  free  from  holes  or  thin 
places. 


To  dye  a  double  colour,  having  purple  on  the  one  side,  and 

scarlet  on  the  other. 
The  cloth  has  to  be  pized  and  dried,  the  same  as  before. 
It  is  now  pfisted  when  white,  and  sewed  up,  as  directed  for 
the  yellow  in  the  last.  When  this  has  been  done,  and  the 
cloth  moistened,  take  it  on  a  hand-barrow  to  the  blue  vat, 
blow  in  the  air,  sew  the  hole  up,  take  it  into  the  blue  vat,  and 
work  it  until  it  becomes  of  a  light  blue.  It  iis  then  taken 
out  of  the  vat,  the  paste  scraped  off",  and  streamed.  Care 
must  be  taken  while  this  is  doing,  that  none  of  the  blue 
touches  the  side  that  has  been  pasted.  When  streamed, 
take  it  to  the  fulling-mill,  and  wash  it  under  the  hammers 
thoroughly.  It  must  now  be  hung  up  to  drain  until  the  next 
day.  .  When  drained,  clean  it  in  the  fulling-mill  with  earth, 
and  dry  it.  The  side  that  was  pasted  will  now  be  white, 
and  the  other  a  light  blue — the  side  that  is  blue  must  be 
placed  inside,  bringing  the  ends  of  the  cloth  together,  and 
sewed  up  with  rolled  lists,  as  before,  ends  as  well  as  sides,  the 
same  as  for  green.  When  this  is  done,  take  it  to  the  scarlet 
furnace,  and  colour  the  white  side  scarlet,  after  the  same 
way,  with  respect  to  workmanship,  as  directed  for  green. 
There  having  been  no  paste  put  on  this  time,  the  liquor  will 
have  penetrated  sufficiently  through  the  cloth,  to  make  the 
side  that  was  blue  of  a  rich  purple.  The  cloth  has  now  to 
be  well  cleansed  by  streaming,  after  the  ends  and  lists  have 
been  opened,  and  finished  the  same  as  the  green. 

This  appears,  on  paper,  to  be  a  very  simple  operation,  but 
is  not  found  so  in  practice.  The  cloth  must  be  made  very 
stout,  and  very  firm  in  the  ground,  to  prevent  the  paste  from 
working  through  it,  and  it  becomes  so  heavy,  when  pasted, 
as  to  require  four  men  to  carry  one  piece  on  a  hand-barrow, 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  169 

which  makes  the  workmanship  of  very  difficult  operation, 
.and  renders  it  Hable  to  be  torn,  thereby  ruining  the  work. 


Miscellaneous  Articles. 

Mode  of  dying  cotton,  by  the  Africans,  a  fine  blue  colour 
with  the  leaves  of  the  indigo  plant.  From  Mungo  Park's 
Mission  to  Africa,  page  133. 

"  A  large  quantity  of  wood  ashes  is  collected  and  put  into 
an  uiiglazcd  earthen  vessel,  which  has  a  hole  in  the  bottom, 
over  which  is  put  some  straw.  Upon  these  ashes  water  is 
poured,  which,  filtering  through  the  hole  in  the  bottom  of  the 
vessel,  carries  with  it  the  potass  contained  in  the  ashes,  and 
forms  a  very  strong  lye,  of  the  colour  of  strong  beer ;  this 
lye  they  call  sai-gee,  ash- water. 

"  Another  pot  is  filled  not  quite  full  of  the  leaves  of  the 
indigo  plant,  either  fresh  or  dried  in  the  sun,  (those  used  at 
this  time  were  dried,)  and  as  much  of  the  sai-gee  poured  on  it 
as  will  fill  the  pot  about  half  full.  It  is  allowed  to  remain  in 
tliis  state  for  four  days,  during  which  time  it  is  stirred  once 
or  twice  each  day. 

"  Tiie  pot  is  then  filled  nearly  full  of  sai-gee,  and  stirred 
frequently  for  four  days  more,  during  which  it  ferments  and 
throws  up  a  copper-coloured  scum.  It  is  then  allowed  to 
remain  at  rest  one  day,  and  on  the  tenth  day  from  the  com- 
mencement of  the  process,  the  cloth  is  put  into  it.  No  mor- 
dant whatever  is  used ;  the  cloth  is  simply  wet  with  cold 
water,  and  wrung  hard  before  it  is  put  into  the  pot,  \^here  it 
is  allowed  to  remain  about  two  hours.  It  is  then  taken  out 
and  exposed  to  the  sun,  by  laying  it  (without  spreading  it) 
over  a  stick,  until  the  liquor  ceases  to  drop  from  it.  After 
this,  it  is  washed  in  cold  water,  and  is  often  beat  with  a  flat 
stick,  to  clear  away  any  leaves  or  dirt  which  may  adhere  to 
it.  The  cloth  being  again  wrung  hard,  is  returned  into  the 
pot,  and  this  dipping  is  repeated  four  times  every  day  for  the 
first  four  days — ai  the  end  of  which  period  it  has  in  common 
acquired  a  blue  colour,  (jqual  to  the  finest  India  baft." 


To  use  bleaching  salts,  for  whitening  cotton-yarn  or  cloth. 
Put  into  a  tub  fifty  gallons  of  water,  put  twelve  pounds  of 
the  oxy-muriate  of  lime  (bleaching  salts)  into  it,  stir  well, 
and  let  remain  until  it  settles,  which  will  take  about  five 

15 


170  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

hours — try  the  strength  with  Tweedle's  hydrometer :  hut 
before  doing  this,  have  a  tub  ready,  and  hft  as  much  of  the 
pure  Hquor  out  from  the  Hme  tub,  as  you  mean  to  use  at 
once,  try  the  hydrometer  in  the  pure  Ifquor,  and  if  it  stands 
three  degrees,  it  is  fit  for  immediate  use ;  if  stronger,  reduce 
to  the  requisite  strength  by  adding  water.  Your  cloth,  be- 
fore immersion,  ouglit  to  be  damp ;  after  it  has  been  boiled 
as  usual  with  ashes,  and  well  cleaned,  let  it  remain  in  the 
steep  for  four  hours,  take  out,  wash  well,  give  a  vitriol  sour, 
steep  again,  and  wash  well. 

After  taking  all  the  clear  liquor  off  your  oxy-muriate  of 
lime,  put  in  a  few  pounds  of  fresh  oxy-muriate,  add  water, 
stir  well,  let  stand  as  before  stated,  and  use  in  the  same 
manner.  Make  no  more  liquor  at  a  time  than  is  wanted  for 
immediate  use,  as  it  loses  its  strength  by  exposure. 


Wilkins''s  patent  mode  of  raising  the  nap  of  doth. 

Since  publishing  my  former  work  on  manufacturing  of 
woollen  cloth,  a  patent  has  been  taken  out  in  England  by  a 
Mr.  Wilkins,  of  Tiverton,  near  Bath,  Somersetshire,  for  rais- 
ing cloth  with  wire  in  place  of  teazles. 

Repeated  attempts  have  been  made  within  the  last  fifty 
years,  to  substitute  wire  for  teazles  on  the  old  gig-mill  barrel, 
but  all  these  attempts  have  uniformly  failed,  it  having  been 
found  that  wire,  when  used  in  clearing  out  the  wool  from  the 
ground  of  the  cloth,  would  uniformly  rob  it  so  much  as  to 
injure  the  texture.  Mr.  Daniels,  a  mechanic  in  Mr.  Wilkins's 
employ,  observed  that  the  cloth  was  injured  in  consequence 
of  the  great  strain  given  to  tlie  goods  whilst  working  round 
the  barrel  of  the  gig-mill,  and  that  to  make  the  wire  answer, 
a  new  mode  of  applying  the  work  must  be  discovered.  This 
he  effected,  by  working  the  cloth  on  polished  marble  slabs. 
He  has  two  polished  marble  slabs,  inclined  on  an  angle  of 
about  forty-five  degrees,  over  the  face  of  which  the  cloth 
passes,  hugging  the  slabs  as  it  moves  over,  and  the  wire 
cylinders  working  all  the  time  on  the  face  of  the  cloth. 

The  machine,  working  the  cloth,  is  very  much  like  a 
double  timming-hog,  such  as  was  much  used  before  the  gen- 
eral  use  of  the  gig-mill.  The  cloth  moves  by  meclianical 
power,  being  first  wound  around  a  roller  placed  under  one 
of  the  marble  slabs,  passing  over  the  first  slab,  then  through 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  171 

two  rollers  placed  above  the  slabs,  in  the  centre  between  the 
two,  then  over  the  face  of  the  second  slab,  and  winding 
around  a  roller  placed  under  it.  A  piece  of  twenty-one 
yards  is  calculated  to  move  over  the  slabs  in  about  seven- 
teen minutes.  Rollers,  clothed  with  wire,  move  rapidly  over 
the  face  of  the  cloth,  one  to  each  slab,  and  they  are  set  down 
by  a  gauge,  so  as  eitlier  just  to  toucli  the  face,  or  dip  into  it 
to  any  required  depth.  A  trough,  containing  water,  is  placed 
under  each  roller,  by  which  the  cloth  is  moistened. 

I  have  seen  a  sample  of  the  card  used  by  Wilkins.  The 
wire  is  bent  in  a  circle,  very  much  the  same  as  the  teazle 
point,  and  is  ground  sidewise  to  a  dull  point. 

Mr.  Wilkins's  cloth  is  now  in  greater  repute  than  any  other 
manufacturer's  in  England,  and  it  is  well  known  the  finish  of 
his  cloth  is  alone  the  cause  of  its  superiority.  Would  it  not 
be  advisable  for  our  leading  manufacturers  to  pay  attention 
to  this  patented  mode  of  working,  and  adopt  it,  if  found  ad- 
vantageous. 


On  ilie  residuums  remaining  after  dying  chromic  yelloio  and 
orange. 

I  have  given  recipes  for  dying  these  colours  in  the  body 
of  the  work.  Most  of  our  dyers  being  ignorant  of  the  com- 
pounds remaining  after  the  colours  are  finished,  and  of  the 
valuable  uses  to  which  they  may  be  applied  by  themselves 
and  others,  I  have  concluded  it  may  be  useful  to  draw  their 
attention  to  the  subject. 

To  enable  the  dyer  to  understand  the  nature  of  the  re- 
siduums, it  will  be  necessary  to  explain  the  component  parts 
of  the  salts  used  in  producing  the  colours,  and  the  changes 
that  take  place  during  the  operation  of  dying. 

Chromate  of  potash  is  a  compound  of  chromic  acid  and 
potash,  in  which  the  potash,  dissolved  by  the  acid,  is  put  into 
a  solid  form  by  crystallization.  There  are  two  distinct  salts 
of  the  chromate,  one  of  a  yellow  colour,  the  other  an  orange. 
The  yellow  crystals  contain  one  atom  of  chromic  acid,  and 
one  atom  of  potash,  or  an  equal  portion  of  each.  The  orange, 
coloured  crystals  contain  two  atoms  of  chromic  acid  to  one 
of  potash,  or  double  the  quantity  of  acid  to  the  potash. 

The  only  other  materisil,  necessary  in  producing  these 
colours,  is  some  salt  having  lead  for  its  base.     Nitrate  of 


172  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

lead  is  used  by  some  dyers,  and  sugar  of  lead  by  others ; 
nitrate  of  lead  is  lead  dissolved  in  aquafortis — and  sugar  of 
lead  is  lead  dissolved  in  the  acid  of  vinegar,  called  acetic 
acid.  Both  of  these  salts  are  made  to  assume  a  solid  form, 
by  crystallization,  in  which  state  they  are  usually  sold. 
Lead  dissolved  in  any  other  acid  will  answer  as  well  as  the 
above,  provided  the  potash,  combined  with  the  chromic  acid, 
is  more  soluble  in  the  acid  combined  with  the  lead,  than  in 
the  chromic  acid. 

The  dyer  first  impregnates  the  goods  with  a  solution  of 
the  salt  of  lead,  and  then  with  a  solution  of  the  chromate  of 
potash,  dipping  alternately  in  each,  until  the  desired  colour 
is  obtained.  During  the  working,  the  acetic  acid  of  the  sugar 
of  lead  leaves  the  lead,  and  combines  with  the  potash  of  the 
chromate  of  potash  ;  the  chromic  acid  being  liberated  from 
the  potash,  and  the  lead  from  the  acetic  acid,  the  two  com- 
bine  and  form  a  chromate  of  lead  on  the  goods.  The  same 
effect  takes  place  when  nitrate  of  lead  is  used,  but  the  re- 
siduums  are  different.  The  colour  will  now  be  a  fine  yellow, 
of  the  same  substance  and  tint  as  the  chrome  yellow  sold  for 
painting.  To  raise  this  yellow  to  an  orange,  it  is  necessary 
to  dip  it  in  some  caustic  alkali,  or  alkaline  earth,  and  caustic 
lime  is  usually  employed. 

We  now  see  the  rationale  of  the  process,  by  which  these 
beautiful  colours  are  obtained,  and  I  have  endeavoured  to 
explain  it  in  such  language  as  will  enable  the  most  unscien- 
tific workman  to  comprehend  it. 

We  shall  proceed  to  ascertain  what  remains  in  the  residu- 
ums,  after  the  dyer  has  produced  the  usual  colours,  and  to 
what  purposes  it  may  be  applied. 

There  must  remain  a  considerable  portion  of  chromate  of 
lead,  and  a  large  quantity  of  the  acid  of  vinegar,  combined 
with  potash,  when  sugar  of  lead  has  been  used  :  and  of  aqua- 
fortis, combined  with  potash,  when  nitrate  of  lead  has  been 
employed.  As  these  are  expensive  colours,  it  must  be  im- 
portant to  the  dyer  to  know  if  the  residuums  can  be  so  ap- 
plied as  materially  to  lessen  the  expense.  In  Scotland,  they 
make  a  beautiful  fawn  colour  by  merely  staining  the  yarn  in  a 
sumach  liquor,  and  then  dipping  it  in  the  solution  remaining 
after  the  chrome  dying,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  other  beau- 
tiful shades  might  be  produced,  by  varying  the  colours  given 
previous  to  immersion  in  the  remaining  chrome  liquors.     It 


PREPARATORY  PROCESSES.  178 

must  be  understood,  that  the  colours  will  vary  as  much  from 
the  different  mordants  used  in  dying  the  preparatory  colours, 
as  from  the  colouring  matters  employed.  After  all  this  has 
been  done,  there  will  still  remain  a  considerable  precipitate 
of  chromate  of  lead,  of  some  value  to  painters,  and  a  liquid 
solution  containing  mordants  of  some  value — the  latter  we 
shall  proceed  to  investigate. 

When  sugar  of  lead  has  been  employed,  the  liquor  remain- 
ing will  contain  acetate  of  potash,  and  when  nitrate  of  lead 
has  been  used,  it  will  contain  nitrate  of  potash,  or  saltpetre. 
We  have  to  ascertain  by  what  means  these  two  solutions  can 
be  further  employed  to  the  most  advantage. 

Acetite  of  alumina  is  the  most  valuable  and  most  expen- 
sive mordant  used  in  cotton  dying.  This  mordant  is  made 
by  dissolving  sugar  of  lead  and  alum  of  commerce  separately, 
and  mixing  the  two  solutions  ;  the  sulphuric  acid  of  the  alum 
combines  with  the  lead  of  the  sugar  of  lead,  and  the  acetic 
acid,  before  combined  with  the  lead,  enters  into  combination 
with  the  alumina  of  the  alum — the  sulphate  of  lead  being 
insoluble,  will  not  interfere  with  the  colouring.  When 
chrome  colours  are  produced  with  sugar  of  lead,  we  have 
ascertained  that  the  residuum  will  be  acetate  of  potash,  and 
as  the  potash  is  more  soluble  in  the  sulphuric  acid  than  in 
the  acetic,  our  dyers  have  only  to  add  to  this  residuum  a 
solution  of  alum,  and  they  will  obtain  the  aluminous  mordant. 
Exactly  the  same  results  must  not  be  expected  from  this 
mordant  as  from  that  made  in  the  direct  way,  as  above  stated, 
for  the  sulphate  of  potash,  being  also  a  soluble  salt,  must 
produce  effects  somewhat  different.  However  different  the 
effects  may  be,  the  mordant  obtained  will  be  found  a  valuable 
acquisition,  particularly  in  dark  colours,  and  may  be  found 
to  produce  many  a  new  and  beautiful  tint. 

Nitrate  of  iron  is  another  mordant  of  great  use  in  dying 
of  black  on  cotton,  and  some  other  colours.  ^  This  mordant 
is  usually  made  by  dissolving  iron  in  aquafortis,  at  an  ex- 
pense, for  a»strong  solution,  of  g,bout  twenty-three  cents  per 
pound.  By  adding  copperas,  which  costs  three  and  a  half 
cents,  to  the  residuum  left  when  chrome  colours  are  done 
with  nitrate  of  lead,  the  nitrate  of  iron  will  be  produced,  and 
this  mordant,  now  so  expensive,  will  be  obtained  at  a  cost 
less  than  four  cents  per  pound. 

It  is  deeply  to  be  regretted  that  our  dyers  are  not  mow 
15* 


174  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES 

generally  acquainted  with  chymistry,  as  that  science  would 
make  plain  to  them  the  rationale  of  every  process  they  fol- 
low, and  how  to  make  the  most  of  their  residuums.  The  art 
of  dying,  staining,  and  topical  application,  must  for  ever  re- 
main in  the  back  ground  in  this  country,  unless  as  much 
science  is  acquired  by  our  operatives,  as  the  same  class  pos- 
sess in  Europe.  I  am  aware  that  courses  of  lectures,  as 
generally  delivered  in  our  cities,  are  too  expensive,  too  re- 
mote in  their  application  to  the  arts,  and  too  full  of  learned 
technicalities,  to  benefit  any  but  the  literary  class. 


On  the  cold  indigo  vat,  used  hy  cotton  dyers. 

Recipes  have  been  given  in  French,  and  other  works,  on 
the  proportion  of  materials  used  to  produce  the  cold  blue  vat. 
They  uniformly  direct  the  dyer  to  use  two  pounds  of  copperas, 
and  two  and  a  half  pounds  of  quicklime,  to  two  pounds  of 
indigo.  As  these  proportions  are  intended  for  the  finest 
quality  of  Bengal  indigo,  and  as  our  dyers,  for  want  of  suffi- 
cient practice,  often  sustain  great  injury  by  following  such 
instructions  too  faithfully,  I  have  thought  it  might  subserve 
their  interest  to  explain  more  fully  than  has  hitherto  been 
done,  the  operations  going  on  during  the  process,  by  which 
they  will  be  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  varying  the  pro- 
portions, according  to  the  quality  of  the  indigo  and  other 
ingredients  employed. 

In  order  to  enable  our  dyers  to  understand  the  subject,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  explain  the  component  parts  of  the  indigo 
and  copperas  used  in  the  process,  and  how  the  latter  decom- 
poses  the  indigo,  as  also  to  show  the  changes  produced  by 
the  quicklime. 

The  best  Bengal  indigo  is  composed  of  about  fifty-two  per 
cent,  of  vegetable  extract,  combined  with  more  or  less  of 
earthy  matter,^and  of  forty-eight  per  cent,  of  colouring  mat- 
ter, made  blue  by  combining  with  oxygen.  The  colouring 
matter  of  indigo  combines  with  various  portions-of  oxygen  : 
hence  the  diversity  of  colour,  as  copper,  violet,  purple,  and 
blue. 

Copperas  is  a  compound  substance,  containing  iron  in  a 
state  of  black  oxyde,  oil  of  vitriol  in  which  the  iron  is  dis- 
solved, and  water  which  is  necessary  to  enable  it  to  crys- 
tallize.    In  the   best  copperas,  the   proportions   are  about 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  175 

twenty-six  acid,  twenty-eight  oxyde  of  iron,  and  forty-six 
water  of  crystallization.  So  long  as  the  oxyde  of  iron  remains 
in  a  crystalline  state,  it  will  not  absorb  more  oxygen  ;  but  the 
instant  it  becomes  separated  from  the  acid  and  water,  it  gree- 
dily absorbs  oxygen  until  it  arrives  at  its  maximum  of  oxydize- 
ment,>by  which  time  it  will  have  combined  with  one-half  more 
oxygen,  and  have  changed  from  black  to  a  red  oxyde. 

Indigo,  when  fully  oxydized,  can  never  be  employed  as  a 
colouring  matter,  as  all  goods  stained  with  it  will  immediately 
wash  white ;  but  when  as  much  oxygen  has  been  extracted 
from  it  as  will  reduce  it  to  a  green  colour,  which  is  its  mini- 
mum state  of  oxydizemcnt,  it  will  colour  any  goods  immersed' 
in  it  of  a  beautiful  green:  and  by  reabsorbing  oxygen,  when 
exposed  to  the  atmosi)here,  becomes  a  permanent  blue  in  the 
pores  of  the  goods. 

The  use  of  the  lime  is  to  combine  with  the  oil  of  vitriol 
of  the  copperas,  for  the  purpose  of  liberating  its  oxyde  of  iron. 
The  oxyde  of  iron,  liberated  from  its  solvent,  having  a  greater 
affinity  for  oxygen  than  the  indigo  has,  will  take  it  from  the 
indigo,  and  reduce  its  colour  from  the  blue  to  the  green  state, 
by  which  it  is  enabled  to  impart  a  permanent  colour. 

We  have  now  the  rationale  of  the  process  pursued  in  the 
cold  blue  vat,  and  I  hope  our  dyers  may  understand  it,  to 
enable  them  to  comprehend  the  correctness  of  the  following 
deductions,  in  which  their  interest  is  materially  involved. 

The  quantity  of  lime  prescribed  is  always  in  a  given  pro- 
portion to  t!ie  copperas  employed  ;  but  as  coppei-as  varies 
materially  in  its  proportions,  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  a 
critical  knowledge  of  the  article — for  those  who  have  not, 
must  be  often  mistaken  in  the  result.  Copperas,  when  newly 
made,  must  contain  more  water  than  when  old  enough  to 
have  become  dry  in  tlie  crystals — of  course  any  given  weight 
of  new  will  not  produce  the  same  effect  as  the  dry.  Oxyde 
of  iron  is  capable  of  combining  with  different  portions  of  oil 
of  vitriol,  the  varieties  being  known  to  the  scientific,  by  its 
colour  and  the  form  of  its  crystals.  It  must  be  evident  that 
as  copperas,  containing  more  than  the  usual  portion  of  vitriol, 
must  contain  a  smaller  portion  of  the  oxyde  of  iron,  and  re- 
quires a  much  larger  portion  of  lime  to  liberate  it,  that  the 
dyer  who,  for  want  of  science  or  experience,  shall  use  such 
an  article  with  the  usual  portion  of  other  materials,  must  be 
disappointed  in  his  expected  results. 


176  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

Indigo  is  a  very  variable  article,  containing  from  five  to 
forty-eight  per  cent,  of  colouring  matter.  It  is  certain,  there- 
fore, that  when  a  dyer  uses  the  same  quantity  of  lime  and 
copperas  indiscriminately,  that  he  must  always  use  the  same 
quality  of  indigo,  or  suffer  great  loss  by  some  of  the  opera- 
tions. It  is  all  important  to  the  blue  dyer  that  he  showld  be 
able  to  ascertain  the  relative  strength  of  the  indigo  he  uses, 
and  proportion  the  other  ingredients  to  it.  I  find  very  many 
of  our  blue  dyers  are  much  better  acquainted  with  the  process 
than  they  wei'e  four  years  since.  At  that  time  it  was  very 
common  with  nearly  all  of  them  to  require  the  best  indigo, 
and  they  appeared  to  be  incapable  of  using  a  consumable 
quality ;  but  now  the  same  dyers  are  successful  in  the  use 
of  lower  qualities.  In  England,  except  for  some  particular 
colours,  the  dyers  use  indigo  containing  from  thirty  to  forty- 
five  per  cent,  of  colouring  matter,  and  find  it  their  interest  in 
so  doing,  there  being  a  much  greater  difference  in  the  price 
than  in  the  quality.  When  the  best  indigo,  containing  forty- 
eight  per  cent,  of  colouring  matter,  sells  for  two  dollars,  that 
which  contains  three  per  cent,  less  can  be  bought  for  one 
dollar  sixty-six  cents  ;  that  which  contains  six  per  cent,  less, 
at  one  forty;  and  nine  per  cent,  less,  at  one  twenty-five.  The 
difference  in  the  price  being  so  much  greater  than  the  differ- 
ence in  the  quality,  will  always  enable  the  experienced  dyer, 
who  can  appreciate  the  quality  of  his  indigo,  and  vary  the 
process  according  to  the  quality,  to  drive  the  more  ignorant 
ones  out  of  the  business.  Those  who  are  well  acquainted 
with  the  blue  dying,  as  carried  on  in  England,  must  have 
observed  that  some  few  blue  dyers  have  monopolized  the  best 
part  of  the  business,  and  have  become  rich,  under  circum- 
stances less  favourable,  judgment  excepted,  than  others  who 
have  sunk  under  the  competition. 

To  succeed  to  the  best  advantage  in  this  valuable  art,  it 
is  necessary  our  dyers  should  know  the  quality  of  the  indigo 
they  use,  should  have  a  critical  knowledge  of  the  copperas 
employed,  and  should  be  able  to  ascertain  the  strength  of  the 
lime  used  to  decompose  the  copperas.  They  should  also 
know  what  quantity  of  copperas  the  different  qualities  of 
indigo  require,  and  the  portions  of  lime  requisite  to  decompose 
the  various  qualities  of  copperas. 

It  will  be  perceived  that  dying  is  altogether  a  chymical  art, 
depending  on  a  play  of  affinities  varying  at  every  step.     I 


PREPARATORY   PROCESSES.  177 

am  aware  tluit  mere  science  will  never  make  a  dyer ;  but 
where  science  is  added  to  experience,  the  artist  possessing  it, 
with  usual  application,  cannot  fail  of  j^aining  a  decided  advan- 
tage over  his  more  ignorant  competitor.  Let  me  again  urge 
our  dyers  to  acquire  as  much  chymical  knowledge  as  will 
enable  them  to  understand  what  they  are  doing.  Without  it, 
they  will  ever  remain  the  servile  imitators  of  European  artists, 
following  in  the  rear  of  improvement,  and  instead  of  taking 
the  lead  in  their  own  market,  must  rest  contented  with  sup- 
plying the  fagend  of  consumption  ! 


On  mellowing  cloth,  after  fulling,  hefore  raising  the  nap. 

It  is  not  generally  known,  that  cloth  cannot  be  raised  with 
so  good  a  nap,  if  put  to  the  gig-mHl  immediately  after  fulling. 
The  cloth,  after  fulling,  should  be"fold£;d  and  rolled  up  close, 
and  let  lie  horizontally  in  that  state  for  five  or  six  days.  It 
should  then  be  taken  to  the  gig-mill  and  raised.  Such  cloth 
will  have  a  much  fuller  nap,  and  will  handle  much  mellower, 
than  when  raised  immediately  from  the  fulling. 


To  dissolve  shellac  in  water,  used  in  France  as  a  varnish,  hy 
paper  stainers. 
Dissolve  twenty  grains  of  borax  in  half  a  pint  of  rain- 
water, then  add  one  hundred  grains  of  powdered  shellac  to 
the  liquor,  which  the  borax  will  enable  the  water  to  dissolve. 
It  should  be  done  at  a  slow  boil.  This  varnish  will  make 
paper  water-proof  without  injuring  its  flexibility.  It  may  be 
mixed  with  any  colouring  matter,  usually  used  on  paper,  not 
injuring  the  most  delicate  colour. 


On  orchille  and  cudbear. 

The  orchille  and  cudbear  are  both  made  from  species  of 
the  lichen.  '  The  orchille  moss  is  found  in  tropical  climates, 
such  as  the  Canary  and  Cape  de  Verd  Islands,  and  the  moss 
producing  cudbear  is  found  in  northern  climates,  as  in  the 
north  of  Scotland,  Norway,  &c. 

The  latitudes  in  which  the  orchille  moss  grows,  almost 
exclude  all  expectation  of  ever  finding  it,  at  least  of  good 
quality,  in  the   United  States ;   but  it  is  very  probable  the 


178  PREPARATORY   PROCESSES. 

cudbear  mosses  may  be  found  in  some  of  our  north-eastern 
States,  and  I  would  recommend,  that  trials  be  made  by  our 
citizens,  living  on  the  eastern  shores  of  the  Atlantic,  of  the 
mosses  found  on  the  rocks  there,  to  ascertain  if  any  of  them 
will  give  out  a  purple  colour.  To  enable  them  to  do  this,  I 
Avill  first  give  the  scientific  names  of  the  different  mosses 
from  which  cudbear  is  made,  and  then  describe  the  process 
by  means  of  which  the  colour  can  be  extracted.  I  would 
advise  that  when  any  particular  moss  is  experimented  on,  a 
part  of  the  same  be  laid  aside,  and  if  the  other  portion  is 
found  to  afford  a  purple,  then  to  inquire  of  some  botanist  the 
technical  name  of  that  lichen. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  lichen  (moss)  from  which  cudbear 
is  usually  made,  and  the  quality  produced  varies  very  mate- 
rially in  each.  They  are,.the  lichen  pustulatus,  the  lichen 
tartarius,  the  lichen  duesttis,  and  the  lichen  vellans.  The 
first  is  the  most  valuable,  and  the  others  are  of  less  and  less 
value  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  named. 

To  extract  the  colour,  it  will  be  only  necessary  to  fill  a 
bottle  loosely  with  the  moss,  and  then  pour  in  as  much  spirits 
of  ammonia  as  will  cover  it.  If  there  be  any  purple  colouring 
matter  in  the  moss,  it  will  show  itself  after  macerating  in  the 
water  of  ammonia  for  four  or  five  days,  in  which  time  the 
liquor  will  be  of  a  rich  purple. 


A  neiv  patent  for  fulling  woollen  goods. 

A  patent  has  lately  been  secured  by  a  mechanic  living  at 
Trowbridge,  Wiltshire,  England,  for  an  entirely  new  machine 
for  fulling,  being  a  substitute  for  the  very  antique  machine 
called  fallers.  I  have  just  now  seen  a  rough  draught  of  the 
machine. 

The  cloth  passes  through  two  pair  of  rollers,  and  soap  is 
used  after  the  same  manner  as  when  felted  in  the  fallers.  It 
is  also  folded  in  the  same  doubles.  The  woollens  work 
inside  of  a  box,  which  is  close  in  all  parts  whilst  the  cloth  is 
at  work.  The  Messrs.  Cooper,  owners  of  a  large  mill  at 
Staverton,  near  Trowbridge,  having  tried  one  of  these  ma- 
chines,  have  subsequently  thrown  out  all  their  fallers,  and 
substituted  the  rollers  in  place  of  them.  From  their  account, 
the  rollers  not  onh''  prevent  damage,  but  the  substance  and 
quality  of  the  cloth  is  so  much  improved,  tliat  it  sells  for 


PREPARATORY    PROCESSES.  179 

fifteen  per  cent,  more  than  tliose  of  the  same  make,  felted  in 
the  usual  fallinji  mill. 


Another  process  for  scouring  icool. 

Tliis  process  is  said  to  scour  wool  better  than  any  before 
invented.  I  have  never  seen  wool  scoured  in  tliis  way,  but 
my  informant,  who  uses  it,  says  that  the  wool  is  turned  out 
cleaner,  and  in  much  better  condition,  than  he  has  eyer  seen 
it  from  any  other  mode. 

In  a  scouring  furnace,  holding  fifty  gallons,  put  three 
buckets  of  stale  urine,  and  fill  up  with  water,  bring  on  the 
heat  to  the  usual  temperature,  and  add  one  pint  of  coarse  sea- 
salt.  In  this  lixivium  the  wool  is  scoured.  The  first  dip  of 
wool,  as  is  usual  in  other  fresh  made  liquors,  does  not  scour 
perfectly  clean,  but  the  subsequent  dips  will  be  complete. 
After  working  the  first  day,  add  one  handful  of  the  same  kind 
of  salt,  and  the  same  quantity  for  every  day  it  is  worked.  It 
will  i-equire  no  additional  urine. 


The  English  new  process  of  dying  black,  either  blued  in  the 
w,         vat,  or  without. 

I  should  consider  this  black,  when  dyed  "without  blueing, 
to  be  a  poor,  fugitive  colour. 

First,  woad  the  wool  to  an  eight  penny  blue,  or  full  half 
blue,  and  wash  clean.  The  quantity  dyed  at  once  will  be 
200lbs. 

To  each  121bs.  of  clean,  scoured  wool,  use  2lbs.  of  alum, 
lib.  of  barwood,  and  1  pint  of  sulpho-muriate  of  tin  to  the 
200li)s.  Let  the  wool  have  plenty  of  room  in  the  kettle,  or 
it  will  be  harsh. 

Fir.st,  boil  the  barwood,  then  heave  in  the  wool,  and  boil 
it  one  hour  and  a  half;  strew  your  ground  alum  over  grad- 
ually, handling  the  wool  briskly  during  the  time  ;  then  boil 
up  15  minutes.  Dilute  the  snlpho-muriatc  of  tin  in  six  gal- 
lons of  cold  water,  throw  it  over  the  wool  in  the  kettle, 
gradually  working  the  wool  well  all  the  time  ;  boil  up  for 
one  hour,  cool  down  with  cold  water,  let  the  wool  lie  in  the 
liquor  for  four  hours,  then  run  off'  the  liquor,  and  let  the 
wool  lie  in  until  cool.  If  a  shade  redder  is  wanted,  increase 
the  tin  liquor  half  a  pint. 

Instead  of  washing  the  prepared  wool,  bring  on  your  ket- 
tle the  next  day  for  finishing,  and  before  adding  any  dye- 


A'ir 


180  PREPARATORY  PROCESSES. 

wares  to  the  liquoi',  put  the  wool  into  barrows  or  paniers, 
pour  over  it  a  quantity  of  the  water  lieated  to  150°,  wiiich 
will  wash  out  the  loose  particles  of  the  acid  and  alum. 
Then  run  up  the  kettle,  and  put  in  coarse  bags  6lbs.  of  log- 
wood to  every  12lbs.  of  clean  wool,  and  half  a  pound  of  su- 
mach; tie  the  bags  close,  put  them  in  the  kettle,  and  boil 
them  well  for  three  hours;  take  the  bags  out,  cool  down  to 
about  140°,  heave  in  the  wool,  work  it  well,  bring  up  the 
heat  and  boil  one  hour;  after  which  draw  the  fire  and  let  it 
lie  six  hours  ;  then  run  oft"  the  liquor,  throw  out  the  wool, 
and  cover  over  with  sheets  until  cold.  It  must  be  washed 
perfectly  clean,  and  dried  by  a  gentle  heat. 


A  similar  black  loithout  blueing. 

For  every  12lbs.  of  wool,  prepare  with  22lbs.  of  alum, 
l^lbs.  of  logwood,  half  a  pound  of  argol,  and  one  pound  of 
oil  of  vitriol,  to  1501bs.  of  clean  wool :  the  process  the 
same  as  the  last. 

Next  day  in  a  clean  liquor,  add  951bs.  of  logwood  chips 
in  bags, — to  be  managed  in  every  particular  as  the  first 
recipe. 


THE    END. 


39    9"^*^^ 


GETTY  CENTER  LIBRARY  CONS 

TP  897  P27   1847  BKS 

I-     1  Partridge.  WllUaii 

*  practical  treatise  or  dying  woollen,  c 


3  3125  00290  3462 


